Liverpool sign Florian Wirtz for record £116m

Liverpool have announced the signing of Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz for a fee of £116 million on a five-year deal.

Liverpool announced the signing via a statement on Friday.

The total package is made up of a £100 million initial fee plus £16 million in potential add-ons.

Wirtz said: “I feel very happy and very proud. Finally, it’s done and I was waiting for a long time – finally it’s done and I am really happy.

“I’m really excited to have a new adventure in front of me. This was also a big point of my thoughts: that I want to have something completely new, to go out of the Bundesliga and to join the Premier League.

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“I will see how I can perform there. I hope I can do my best. I also spoke with some players who played there, and they told me that it’s perfect for me, and every pitch is perfect, you can enjoy every game. I’m really looking forward to playing my first game.”

The move for the 22-year-old Germany international could eclipse the previous British-record transfer fee of £115 million that Chelsea paid to Brighton to sign Moises Caicedo in 2023, should the additional bonuses be met.

Wirtz, who has spent his entire senior career at Leverkusen, scored 10 goals and registered 12 assists in 25 starts as his side finished runners-up to Bayern Munich last season, a year on from winning a league and cup double.

The Star