Liverpool at front of the queue to sign Bundesliga wonderkid

Stuart Telford

• 5 Nov 2023 10:33 GMT
• 3 min read

Liverpool are understood to be favourites to sign Bayer Leverkusen prodigy Florian Wirtz at the end of the season.

Wirtz, now 20, has already been of interest to many of European football's giants for many a year. Indeed, when Cologne lost him to Leverkusen in 2020 they expected it to be for a "club like Juventus."

Fast-forward three seasons and Wirtz is lighting up the Bundesliga, contributing three goals and four assists to help Xabi Alonso's side to the top of the table after 10 games played.

READ: Chelsea one of five Premier League clubs interested in German wonderkid

While Alonso is tipped to succeed Carlo Ancelotti as Real Madrid manager at the end of the campaign, Wirtz is also in high demand, with Manchester City and Bayern Munich previously thought to be favourites to sign him. But Liverpool are now in the race.

Liverpool's interest 'has altered the picture'

"Liverpool want young Bayer Leverkusen sensation Florian Wirtz," reports the Daily Star's Harry Pratt. "Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Chelsea are already at the front of a lengthy queue.

"But while City and Bayern appeared to hold the early edge in an inevitable transfer scrap for the £80 million-rated Wirtz next summer, news of Liverpool's growing interest has altered the picture."

READ: Frimpong to Man Utd, Wirtz to City - Five Leverkusen stars who could move in 2024

Wirtz is currently valued at €37.3m (£32.4m) by FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm, but enjoyed a high of €79m (£68.5m) prior to injury in late 2022. An unexpected Bundesliga title win would drive up his asking price again.

Liverpool are looking for reinforcements in the final third next season. Although they turned down a £150m offer from Al-Ittihad for Mohamed Salah last summer, they are expected to cash in on the Egyptian winger next.

Klopp's status as a fellow German could help persuade Wirtz, with a Bundesliga flavour throughout his Reds squad with the likes of Joel Matip and Dominik Szoboszlai on the books.