Liverpool, the Premier League champions, have reached an agreement with Bayer Leverkusen for a club-record deal worth up to £116m (€136.36) to acquire Florian Wirtz, the talented playmaker.

The negotiations saw two previous bids from Liverpool rejected, with the final offer of £113m consisting of an upfront payment of £100m along with performance-related add-ons. However, the deal has now been successfully finalized.

While Liverpool will initially pay £100m, the inclusion of performance-related add-ons could potentially set a new British record if achieved.

Despite Leverkusen valuing the 22-year-old German international at around £125m, Liverpool's total expenditure on Wirtz could exceed the £115m that Chelsea paid Brighton for Moises Caicedo in 2023.

Previously, Liverpool's record signing was striker Darwin Nunez in 2022, although the full £85m fee has not been paid as certain add-on conditions have not been met.

Having closely monitored Wirtz along with several other top European clubs, Liverpool did not initially see themselves as the frontrunners for his signature. However, following Manchester City's withdrawal from the negotiations due to escalating costs and Wirtz's preference for Liverpool over Bayern Munich, sporting director Richard Hughes intensified efforts to secure the deal.

Discussions with Leverkusen were already in progress for Jeremie Frimpong, who recently joined Liverpool in a £30m deal, facilitating smoother communication for the Wirtz transfer. Hughes' connections with his former club Bournemouth also played a key role in advancing talks with Bournemouth for the acquisition of left-back Milos Kerkez, a player he previously brought to the Premier League.