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The Independent
28 minutes ago
- The Independent
The subtle qualities of Florian Wirtz ready to help Liverpool evolve
The £100m man isn't thinking about being the £100m man. Although, should he and Liverpool achieve the success together that they hope they will, he will become the £116m man and – as things stand anyway – not merely the club record signing but the British record. Perhaps it helped him adjust to a world of sizeable, seismic fees when Bayer Leverkusen put a €150m (£130.3m) price on him Liverpool negotiated them down a bit, but the fee was still one to dwell upon. But not for Florian Wirtz. 'I don't think about it,' he said. 'I just want to play football and how much money the clubs pay between each other, it doesn't matter.' No pressure there, then. Or none that he puts on himself. It may be, of course, that the German only spends a few weeks as the biggest buy in Liverpool's history. They have already bid £110m for Alexander Isak, even if they have a reluctance to increase it after a swift rebuttal. A saga may deflect some attention from a signing who ought to lend plenty of excitement in his own right. Wirtz had played at Anfield in Leverkusen's colours, losing 4-0 in the Champions League last season. He enjoyed a first game in Liverpool's red rather more, a 3-2 win over Athletic Bilbao on Monday. Nor did he have to spend too much time pondering a striker who might arrive. Not when he operated behind one who already has. Hugo Ekitike is another of the Bundesliga all-stars. Wirtz had faced the Frenchman, who could cost £79m. Now he is charged with supplying him. 'He is a really good player,' he said. 'It was a joy to watch him at [Eintracht] Frankfurt and I was really happy he signed to come to us. In the training sessions already he went well and also in the game we had some combinations that were good.' And Wirtz has been bought to combine; to create too. 'I will try to find the right places to be and the right spaces to get the ball and to be dangerous and create chances,' he said. His duties include being the creator-in-chief. As Arne Slot noted after the victory over Athletic, Liverpool have lost Trent Alexander-Arnold's creativity and while Wirtz operates in a different position, the German can compensate for the right-back's departure with his own invention. Wirtz can operate as a false nine or off the left, but Anfield's first vision of him was as a No 10. He was selected there, but given a licence to roam. 'I think I am a player who needs freedom on the pitch and the manager gives it to me,' he said. Wirtz has the permission to go where he thinks he can cause most damage; that he has recorded totals in double figures for both goals and assists in each of the last two Bundesliga seasons indicates he is capable of inflicting a lot, and in various ways. Not every arrival from the Bundesliga has flourished in the Premier League, but Liverpool like to shop there. Jeremie Frimpong, Ekitike and Wirtz joined from German clubs this summer, Ibrahima Konate, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo in the recent past. Wirtz has plenty of teammates he could consult about switching divisions. 'They tell me it's more intense and more physical, every player is really strong, really fast,' he said. 'I am really looking forward to play [in the Premier League],' he added. 'There are some differences to Germany but I think there are also some things I can learn to make me better.' A slight figure, Wirtz make look an anomaly in the Premier League, surrounded by more strapping physiques. It is notable how quick Liverpool's arrivals are. It was also instructive Wirtz referenced his own running power. 'I just try to create chances and also work against the ball, so I can also run a lot, so bring this to the team and then with the ball I can make the team better and bring my teammates into better situations,' he said. He proved he had conquered the Bundesliga, inspiring Leverkusen to their first league title in 2023-24, winning the division's player-of-the-year award that season. He attracted interest this summer: from Real Madrid and Manchester City. Above all, from Bayern Munich. He chose Liverpool, in part because he could see himself in Slot's side. 'I came for that reason because I thought I could fit in this team,' he said. Sunday's Community Shield against Crystal Palace will provide a first competitive game to test that theory but so far Liverpool like what they see. And for Wirtz, the man unperturbed by that price tag, there is another kind of pressure. Liverpool won the Premier League without him, before a summer of vast spending. Now the expectation may be to do it again. 'Of course, the big challenge is to win the title again,' added Wirtz. 'And it is the most difficult thing.' But, once again, he sounded unworried.
The Independent
28 minutes ago
- The Independent
I don't think about it – Liverpool's Florian Wirtz unfazed by £100m price tag
Liverpool's record signing Florian Wirtz insists his price tag is irrelevant to him and he is just focused on making the Premier League champions better ahead of their title defence. The Germany attacking midfielder arrived at Anfield for an initial £100million, with a further £16m of achievable add-ons making his move from Bayer Leverkusen a potentially British record-breaking one. However, speaking after impressing in a 3-2 friendly win over Athletic Bilbao on Monday evening, the 22-year-old brushed off the figures involved. 'I don't think about it. I just want to play football and how much money the clubs pay between each other, it doesn't matter,' he said. 'Of course the big challenge is to win the title again and it is the most difficult thing so (I will) try and just create chances and also work against the ball. 'I can also run a lot so (I will) bring this to the team and then with the ball I can make the team better and bring my team-mates into better situations. 'I came because I thought I could fit in this team and I am enjoying to play with these players and getting every time a little bit better so I am happy with how it is going.' Wirtz's game is based around carrying the ball with purpose and bringing team-mates into play with his close control and lots of touches in and around the penalty area. However, he will also provide a goal threat – he scored 57 times in 197 appearances for Leverkusen – and almost broke the deadlock against Bilbao with a header which clipped the crossbar. He may find the Premier League is less forgiving than the Bundesliga but he is looking forward to finding out. 'I am a player who needs freedom on the pitch and the manager gives it to me because I have to respect the position and the players around me,' he added. 'I will try to find the right places to be and the right spaces to get the ball and to be dangerous and create chances – I have not played a match in the Premier League but I am looking forward and that is why I came.' Asked whether he thought playing in England was more difficult than Germany and whether he would be able to continue to play his own game, he replied: 'To be honest, I don't know. 'There are some differences to Germany but I think there is also something I can learn and make me better so I am really looking forward to it. 'It's more intense and more physical, every player is really strong, really fast. That is what everybody is telling me.'
The Independent
28 minutes ago
- The Independent
Transfer news live: Isak's agent speaks out, Arsenal battle Liverpool, Man Utd offered Sesko alternative
Newcastle United remain in the headlines due to the interest in striker Alexander Isak. The 25-year-old has been trying to force a move away from the club amid ongoing interest from Liverpool but Newcastle are holding out for a massive fee having rejected Liverpool 's first bid. Manager Eddie Howe says the situation is 'far from ideal'. Nevertheless the club are searching for a potential replacement and have now made a second bid for RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko, after their first was deemed not good enough by the German side. Manchester United, who are hopeful of securing a No 9 of their own, are considering their own move as the two clubs will battle it out over the closing days of the window. Elsewhere, Ruben Dias on the verge of agreeing a new contract with Manchester City, Nicolas Jackson is set to leave Chelsea this summer, while Arsenal are aiming to bolster their forward line by signing Crystal Palace 's Eberechi Eze. Palace want a fee in excess of £60m which is the amount of Eze's release clause but the Gunners are running out of time to trigger it. LAFC agree deal for Son LAFC have reached an agreement with Tottenham to sign Son Heung-min. The Evening Standard says the deal could be worth £20m which would become the record fee paid by an MLS club surpassing the £16.6m fee paid for Eammanuel Latte Lath by Atlanta United. The 33-year-old leaves Spurs with 173 goals in 454 appearances and a Europa League winners medal after ending the club's 17-year trophy drought in his final game. Mike Jones5 August 2025 12:01 Villa & Newcastle to fight for Calvert-Lewin? Reports in the UK suggest that Aston Villa, Newcastle and AC Milan are three clubs considering a move for former Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The 28-year-old is a free agent after his Everton contract expired, and it is suggested he could be a cost-effective option for both Villa and the Magpies, with both covering only his wages. Mike Jones5 August 2025 11:51 Leipzig using Ekitike fee as benchmark? Reports from Germany suggest that RB Leipzig will use the fee Liverpool paid for Hugo Ekitike as a reference point for their valuation of Benjamin Sesko this summer. Ekitike completed a £79m move to Liverpool earlier in the window, with Leipzig expected to demand a similar sort of fee for their Slovenian striker. Newcastle have submitted a bid of €75m (£65.5m) plus €5m (£4.3m) in add-ons, Sky Sports News reported, but that bid was rejected for being too low. Mike Jones5 August 2025 11:40 Dortmund 'have reservations' over potential Sancho deal Borussia Dortmund have some reservations over a potential deal for Jadon Sancho due to the fact that neither Chelsea nor Man Utd see a future for the winger at their clubs. Sancho has been a success at Dortmund over two spells and is even said to be willing to take a pay cut to re-join the German side. United would reportedly let him leave for a fee similar to the £25m that Chelsea refused to pay. Mike Jones5 August 2025 11:28 Who is Rio Ngumoha? Liverpool's teenage sensation ready to star in Premier League It is quite the statement to say that, amid a £269m outlay to bring in players with the quality of Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Hugo Ekitike, Liverpool's most exciting prospect this season comes in the form of a developing teenage striker. Yet that is the building hype concerning 16-year-old forward Rio Ngumoha and the quality his possesses at such a young age. Then again, hype is one thing but performing on the pitch is another and in this arena Ngumoha is showing why football fans are getting excited about his future. Who is Rio Ngumoha? Teenage sensation ready to star in Premier League The 16-year-old has lit up Liverpool's pre-season and is being backed to break into the first team this year Mike Jones5 August 2025 11:17 Man United's new stadium plans already delayed by dispute Manchester United 's bold plans to build a new 100,000-seater stadium beside replace Old Trafford have already hit a major hindrance. Sir Jim Ratcliffe unveiled drawings earlier this year for a new venue to replace the tired existing ground, which has been poorly maintained under the Glazer family's ownership. The plans included major new housing, leisure and retail space around the ground to transform the area into an attractive destination that offers visitors more than just football. Man United's new stadium plans already delayed by dispute with freight train company Jim Ratcliffe wants to regenerate the space around United's new stadium but the club are struggling to negotiate with a local land owner Lawrence Ostlere5 August 2025 11:02 West Ham secure Callum Wilson's signature West Ham have reportedly agreed a deal with free agent Callum Wilson, who left Newcastle after his contract expired at the end of June. The 33-year-old is believed to be signing a one-year deal with the Hammers, according to Sky Sports News. Mike Jones5 August 2025 10:50 Ugochukwu & Broja to join Burnley Lesley Ugochukwu has been 'authorised for [a] medical at Burnley after permanent deal [was] agreed with Chelsea' reports Fabrizio Romano. The midfielder will join former Blues striker Armando Broja at Turf Moor after Burnley also agreed a deal for the Albanian, with that move worth around £20m. The fee for Ugochukwu remains unclear. Lawrence Ostlere5 August 2025 10:41 Newcastle to look at Watkins & Wissa if Isak leaves Newcastle will look at Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins if given encouragement that a deal can be done, according to the Daily Mail. Watkins would be available for around £60m, though Newcastle would likely try and reduce that fee. While the signing could act as a replacement for Alexander Isak, the club are also still targeting Brentford forward Yoane Wissa, who is reportedly valued at £50m too. Mike Jones5 August 2025 10:31 Arsenal duo set for exit door? Jakub Kiwior and Fabio Vieira could be set to leave Arsenal this summer, with reports linking them both to moves away from the Emirates. Kiwior is pushing to play more with Porto thought to be interested, though Arsenal rejected an offer from an unnamed club last month according to Fabrizio Romano. And Vieira - who spent last season on loan at Porto – has been the subject of an approach from German side Stuttgart, who want to sign him on a permanent deal, according to David Ornstein. Lawrence Ostlere5 August 2025 10:21
