Florian Wirtz signs for Liverpool, making it the most expensive transfer in Premier League history.

Liverpool confirmed the signing of Florian Wirtz on Friday, paying Bayer Leverkusen €135 million for the deal, a figure that could rise to €150 million depending on various bonuses and add-ons. The 22-year-old midfielder has signed a contract with the Reds until 2030, making it the highest-paid transfer in Premier League history.

The German international is the second transfer deal for Arne Slot 's side this summer, following the arrival of Jeremie Frimpong , also from Leverkusen, for €35 million. A key player in the club's 2024 Bundesliga and German Cup triumphs, where he was named the league's best player, Wirtz has made 197 appearances for Bayer, scoring 57 goals.

Chelsea had set the previous Premier League records in 2023. That summer, they paid £106.7 million to Benfica for Enzo Fernández and £115 million to Brighton for Moisés Caicedo . Either way, he becomes the third most expensive player in history, behind Neymar (€222 million in 2017) and Kylian Mbappé (€180 million in 2018).

Slot arrived last summer and signed just one outfield player: Federico Chiesa . The Italian striker barely played, and his team won the Premier League title by 10 points over Arsenal. Slot and Virgil van Dijk , among others, spoke about their big plans for this transfer window.

Records of precocity

Wirtz arrives ready to offer his immense talent in the '10' position, occupied last season by Dominik Szoboszlai , although he could also move to the left wing of the attack, replacing Luis Díaz or Cody Gakpo .

The absences of Wirtz and Frimpong leave Bayer and their new coach, Erik ten Hag , with an even bigger task in their reconstruction following Xabi Alonso 's departure to Real Madrid. "He's one of the best players in the world," the Basque coach said in the past, without blushing when comparing him to Leo Messi .

Wirtz became Leverkusen's youngest ever player when he made his debut against Werder Bremen on his 17th birthday in May 2020. A month later, he became the youngest scorer in Bundesliga history, although that record has since been surpassed.

Serious injury in 2022

His versatile attacking style was a vital ingredient in Alonso's transformation of Leverkusen. He also proved he can handle adversity when a torn cruciate ligament in his knee ruled him out for most of 2022, including Alonso's first games on the bench.

Wirtz, with 31 caps, has also become a vital player for Germany. Under Julian Nagelsmann, he played in all five of the Nationalmannschaft 's matches at Euro 2024. There, he formed a formidable duo with Jamal Musiala , nicknamed Wusiala, which thrilled the German fans.

The next signing Liverpool will confirm will be Milos Kerkez , a left-back from Bournemouth. To finance these signings, the Anfield club got rid of the third-highest-paid player in their squad, Trent Alexander-Arnold , in addition to receiving 10 million for the Englishman, in addition to the future sale of Jarrell Quansah , who will go to Leverkusen for just over 40 million.