Liverpool take ‘step forward’ in chase for £100m genius who Xabi Alonso once likened to Messi | OneFootball

According to reports from Spain, Liverpool have surged into the already crowded transfer race for one of the hottest properties in European football.

The Reds have been linked on and off with Florian Wirtz throughout the year, and it appears that FSG’s interest in the Bayer Leverkusen playmaker has stepped up a notch in recent days.

Liverpool contact Wirtz’s agents

Spanish outlet Fichajes have reported that LFC and Chelsea have both ‘taken a step forward’ in their pursuit of the 21-year-old by making contact with his representatives with a view to a potential nine-figure transfer swoop next summer.

The Germany international is projected to fetch as much as £100m if the Bundesliga champions are to cash in on him, with Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid also touted as prospective suitors.

The report claims that Liverpool are ‘looking to inject freshness into midfield with a creative player who complements their current playing style’ and to that end would consider Wirtz a ‘solid investment for the future’, albeit with an acknowledgement that his signature would be difficult to procure.

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Wirtz would be a real statement signing for Liverpool

The 21-year-old can boast a massively strong reference from Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso, who’s likened him to Lionel Messi for his smart decision-making on the pitch and his intelligence to consistently play the right pass (GOAL).

Although Wirtz and his teammates were humbled by Liverpool on Tuesday night, he was one of the visitors’ best players at Anfield, completing 89% of his passes, executing three key passes (Sofascore) and landing one shot on target which forced a very good save from Caoimhin Kelleher when the score was 2-0.

The German has already found the net seven times this season to go along with the 18 that he netted in Leverkusen’s history-making 2023/24 campaign, and it’s no surprise that he ranks so highly among positional peers for a host of attacking and distrubition metrics.

As per FBref, he’s among the top 2% of attacking midfielders in Europe’s five main leagues over the past year for progressive passes (8.35) and shot-creating actions (6.58) per game, and he features among the top 15% for pass completion, non-penalty goals, progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90 minutes.

It’s easy to see why the Bundesliga champions would demand £100m for Wirtz in today’s market, although it’d require a massive leap of faith from Liverpool to break their transfer record for the 21-year-old.

Curtis Jones has shone in the number 10 role of late, while Dominik Szoboszlai and Harvey Elliott are also capable of thriving in that position, but it’d represent a serious statement of intent if the Reds were to splash out for the Leverkusen star.

If indeed these latest reports are accurate, it seems that FSG might just be prepapred to push the boat out for a show-stopping signing at Anfield in 2025.