Jurgen klopp comment speaks volumes as liverpool set up florian wirtz meeting

LIVERPOOL ARE LOOKING TO CEMENT THEIR PLACE AT THE SUMMIT OF ENGLISH FOOTBALL BY SIGNING BAYER LEVERKUSEN SUPERSTAR FLORIAN WIRTZ, AND ARE PREPARED TO BREAK THEIR TRANSFER RECORD TO DO SO

10:10, 21 May 2025Updated 10:23, 21 May 2025 Liverpool could be in pole position to sign Florian Wirtz if Jurgen Klopp's past comments are anything to go by. The Reds are reportedly

locked in a transfer tug-of-war with Bayern Munich, after Manchester City opted to pull out of the race for the 22-year-old midfielder. Bayer Leverkusen have slapped a hefty €150million

(£126m) price tag on Wirtz, meaning Liverpool must shatter their transfer record to bring him to Anfield. Nonetheless, it looks like they're seriously considering doing so. According to

Bild, Liverpool chief executive Michael Edwards is set to meet with club owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) in the US this week to seek approval for an official move for the Germany

international. He plans to explain why Wirtz is so special and make the case for a record-breaking investment. This news will no doubt excite Liverpool supporters, particularly given

Klopp's previous assessment of Edwards. Speaking shortly before his departure last year, Klopp described Edwards as "not dumb" and implied that he wouldn't waste time

approaching the owners unless he believed there was a genuine chance of convincing them. "Michael and I, we always had a really good relationship," Klopp told the club's

official website. "I'm really happy he's back... Michael is a top choice." When asked if Edwards, who re-joined the club in 2024, had tried to persuade him to stay, Klopp

replied: "No, because - and [this] is very important in the job - he is not dumb. It's not a subject to talk about." Article continues below Edwards, who served as

Liverpool's sporting director between 2016 and 2022, played a pivotal role in assembling the squad that delivered Champions League and Premier League triumphs in 2019 and 2020, signing

the likes of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker and Fabinho. He's been spearheading Liverpool's pursuit of Wirtz, who has been sensational form of late, having scored

16 goals and notched 15 assists in all competitions for Leverkusen this season. He was also instrumental in their historic Bundesliga-winning campaign last year, contributing 18 goals and 20

assists. But despite Liverpool's ambitious plans, Bayern Munich are reportedly "certain" they will win the race for Wirtz. The German giants have identified the playmaker as

a transfer priority and are willing to do whatever it takes to bring him to the Allianz Arena, including waiting until 2026 to land him. Bayern have a long-standing reputation for poaching

top talent from domestic rivals - a trend that has shaped their dominance in German football. While their last major Bundesliga acquisition was Dayot Upamecano from RB Leipzig in 2021, their

history includes marquee signings such as Robert Lewandowski, Manuel Neuer, Mats Hummels, Benjamin Pavard, Serge Gnabry, Joshua Kimmich, and Mario Gotze. Manchester City were initially seen

as strong contenders for Wirtz, with the German viewed by many as a natural successor to the departing Kevin De Bruyne. However, the club are understood to have withdrawn from the race due

to financial concerns. With Leverkusen demanding £126m, and the total package - including wages, agent fees, and bonuses - potentially exceeding £250m, City deemed the deal financially

unviable. They've since shifted their focus to more cost-effective alternatives, including Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White and AC Milan's Tijjani Reijnders. Article

continues below Liverpool - who are on the verge of signing Wirtz's Leverkusen team-mate Jeremie Frimpong - will no doubt weigh similar financial factors. However, having secured new

contracts for both Salah and Van Dijk, the Reds have alleviated some of their squad-building pressures - allowing them to channel more of their transfer budget toward a marquee signing like

Wirtz. Should they succeed in landing the player, it would mark a bold statement of intent for this new era at Liverpool - an emphatic signal that, even in the post-Klopp landscape, Anfield

remains a destination for Europe's elite, and that the Reds remain a force to be reckoned with both on and off the pitch. _Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of

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