Report: Liverpool in talks to sign Wirtz after Bayern bail on Leverkusen star

Liverpool are in talks with Bayer Leverkusen over a club-record deal for Florian Wirtz that would also make him the most expensive German player of all time, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein.

Ornstein reported earlier Friday that Bayern Munich had conceded the race for Wirtz as he had already gone house hunting in the northwest of England.

The fee for Wirtz would reportedly eclipse the €85 million Liverpool spent to acquire Darwin Nunez from Benfica in June 2022.

Manchester City were expected to join the race for the 22-year-old but apparently backed off when they learned it would take €300 million in fees and salary to make a deal.

Liverpool had already agreed to sign Wirtz's teammate, Leverkusen right-back Jeremie Frimpong, in a separate €35-million transaction.

Wirtz would bring a greater guarantee of goals and assists to Anfield than Liverpool's current playmaker, Dominik Szoboszlai, who's posted a modest return of five goals and six assists in 34 Premier League appearances this term.

In contrast, Wirtz ended Leverkusen's Bundesliga campaign with 10 goals and 12 assists in 31 matches.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot didn't welcome any new signings last summer after inheriting the squad Jurgen Klopp helped build but managed to lead the same side to the club's 20th English top-flight title.

Though Wirtz is a midfielder by trade, he can play anywhere along the front line, promising Slot the flexibility he needs to retool his squad amid talk of Nunez and Luis Diaz potentially departing this summer.