Rudi Völler, the director of the German national team, has insisted Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz was leaning towards joining Liverpool well before the Reds’ interest in a summer transfer emerged.
Liverpool are on the cusp of making Wirtz the most expensive player in Premier League history after agreeing a fee of €136.3 million (£116.6 million, $156.6 million) with Leverkusen. The 22-year-old is due to complete his medical on Friday.
Heading into the summer transfer window, it was Bayern Munich who appeared to be leading the race for Wirtz’s signature, with Manchester City and Real Madrid lagging behind, but a meeting with Liverpool manager Arne Slot in mid-May turned the entire saga on its head.
While that appeared to be the beginning of Wirtz’s interest in a move to Liverpool, Völler has suggested the Germany international has long been leaning towards heading to Anfield this summer.
“I knew from my proximity to Bayer Leverkusen, also from his family or from him himself, what inquiries he had—it wasn’t just Liverpool or Bayern Munich, there were others too,” Völler told Toni Kroos’s podcast Einfach mal Luppen.
“A few months ago, he hinted to me, as did his father, that he was inclined to go to Liverpool.”
Völler, looking at the transfer from his role as Germany director, added: “Everyone was kind of hoping that he would stay here in Leverkusen for another year and not leave until after the World Cup. That would have been my preferred solution. But this is absolutely fine.
”The boy is ready for the Premier League.“
Once Liverpool’s move for Wirtz, who is expected to sign a five-year contract, is wrapped up, the Reds will resume their search for other reinforcements. Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez is expected to follow the German through the door in a deal worth around £40 million ($53.8 million) soon after.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘A Few Months Ago’—Germany Chief Reveals Major Florian Wirtz Transfer Detail.