Florian Wirtz's Transfer Doubts Resurface as Liverpool Deal Takes New Turn

Former Premier League players Micah Richards and Alan Shearer have both raised doubts over Florian Wirtz’s imminent arrival at Liverpool.

The Reds have taken off at top speed in the summer transfer window thanks to their early success in securing the Premier League title, which has propelled their transfer strategies forward.

Jeremie Frimpong has already inked a deal worth £29.5 million from Bayer Leverkusen. , meanwhile, Bournemouth’s left-back Milos Kerkez is said to have agreed on personal conditions before potentially making his transfer.

However, their standout acquisition for the season would be Wirtz. Liverpool reportedly making two bids for the Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder so far.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealed earlier this week that Liverpool are ‘optimistic’ that they can get a deal over the line with more negotiations coming.

Romano wrote on X :' Liverpool remains hopeful about finalizing the Florian Wirtz transfer as new negotiations have been set for this week. The club is optimistic about reaching an agreement with Bayer Leverkusen shortly.'

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Following an initial swift move in the transfer process where Wirtz rapidly agreed to sign with Liverpool and the club submitted their opening offer, recent German reports have suggested that the transaction has encountered some delays.

Even though they clearly recognize Wirtz as a highly skilled footballer, Richards and Shearer worry that he might face challenges with the "physically demanding" aspect of playing in England.

Shearer asked Richards on The Rest Is Football podcast Is he really as talented as Micah?

To which Richards replied: “He’s exceptional. Obviously, he’s got to do it in a league which is more physical. That is my only doubt. It’s my only doubt. Tactically, he’s got it. Technically, he’s got it.

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“The way he manipulates the ball… he was a superstar from a young age, so he can deal with pressure. It’s just, where does he fit into the system?

“Is he gonna play in Dominik Szoboszlai’s role? Or is he gonna play him out on the left-hand side, because he can do both, and honestly, for £120million he’s worth every single penny.”

Shearer added: “I’ve seen him quite a bit this season in the Champions League, and there’s no doubt he’s a really, really talented player.

“It’s a hell of a lot of money, but I think he’ll be a success. I would say the same in terms of the physical side of things. With technical ability and all of that, he’s a very, very good player.”

Leverkusen are seemingly holding out for a fee of around €150m after a €130m offer from Liverpool was recently turned down and German newspaper Bild insist that Wirtz's previous team, Cologne, might cause delays.

The German team might be entitled to 'training compensation' since they significantly contributed to the player's growth from age 12 to 23, according to FIFA regulations.

During his time with Köln from age seven to sixteen, Wirtz spent nine years at the club. If a transfer fee of €150 million is agreed upon, Köln would receive five percent, which equates to €7.5 million.

The CEO of Koln, Werner Wolff, stated: "Naturally, we are examining this matter. We understand our rights and will defend them."

We're examining this carefully from all angles. It will be advantageous for us. The more money Liverpool is ready to offer, the greater our gain.

Bild Journalist Christian Falk claims that Bayern Munich received a "severe blow" when Wirtz turned down an opportunity to join them, highlighting the strong attraction of the Premier League as evidenced by Liverpool’s interest.

Falk told CF Bayern Insider It was a significant blow for the Bayern executives to lose out on Florian Wirtz.

You might comprehend why players such as Erling Haaland or Jude Bellingham would choose to depart from the Bundesliga to join premier teams abroad, like Manchester City or Real Madrid, particularly since they aren't German. It wouldn’t significantly impact their careers to go to Bayern Munich. However, this marks the first instance where a German player has opted out of joining Bayern.

They showed interest, and I believe this is extremely challenging for Bayern Munich. It's disheartening to learn that financial considerations weren't even part of the discussion; reportedly, Wirtz stands to make between €20 million and €22 million annually at Liverpool. In fact, Bayern proposed more, offering around €24 million per year—thus making this situation twice as difficult for FC Bayern to swallow.