Liverpool has reached a historic agreement with Bayer Leverkusen to secure the services of Florian Wirtz. The Premier League champions will pay a guaranteed €117m (£100m) for the highly sought-after Germany international, with potential add-ons of €19m (£16m) that could see Wirtz become the most expensive British transfer ever.

Richard Hughes, Liverpool's sporting director, has been negotiating for the attacking midfielder for weeks, and the deal was finalized on Friday morning. Despite Leverkusen's initial demand of €150m (£127.6m) for the 22-year-old, Wirtz expressed his desire to join Anfield, rejecting offers from other top clubs.

Wirtz is expected to undergo a medical soon and complete the transfer when the window reopens next week. Liverpool's frugal spending in recent transfer windows has made this record-breaking deal possible. The club's previous transfer record was for Darwin Núñez, who was signed for €100m (£85m) from Benfica in 2022.

The signing of Wirtz is seen as a significant move by Liverpool, reflecting their commitment to acquiring world-class talent. The club's faith in their current squad, built by Jürgen Klopp, has paid off, with the team winning their 20th league title under Arne Slot's management.

City reportedly withdrew from the race for Wirtz due to the high costs involved in signing him to a five-year contract. Liverpool is also in talks to sign Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth for €52m (£45m) and has already secured Jeremie Frimpong and Giorgi Mamardashvili.

With several outgoings expected this summer, Liverpool's ambitious revamp is well underway. Giovanni van Bronckhorst is set to join Arne Slot's coaching staff, bringing a wealth of experience to the team.