Liverpool Could Sign “Exceptional” £70m PL Star Who’s England’s Answer to Wirtz
Liverpool’s efforts to sign Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz appear to be reaching a critical stage, with the club now pushing to finalise a deal for the Germany international.
New head coach Arne Slot is keen to strengthen his squad and has already brought in Jeremie Frimpong during the current summer transfer window. Wirtz, a highly regarded midfield talent, is reportedly next on his list of targets.
Christian Falk of BILD reports that the Merseyside giants have seen an offer of £110 million turned down by Bayer Leverkusen, who are holding out for a fee closer to £118 million for the playmaker.
The journalist adds that Leverkusen expect the Premier League champions to return with a final bid, with both clubs likely to reach an agreement at the £118 million mark.
If the move goes through, it would represent a new club-record signing for Liverpool, eclipsing the £85 million they paid for Darwin Nunez in 2022. The question now is whether Wirtz can justify such a significant investment.
Why Florian Wirtz is Worth the Money for Liverpool
The 22-year-old talent appears to be a risk worth taking, even at a hefty £118 million, as his arrival could bring a transformative edge to the Reds’ attack, despite their recent Premier League triumph in the 2024/25 season.
None of Liverpool’s central or attacking midfielders outperformed Dominik Szoboszlai, who managed six goals and six assists in the league under Arne Slot, highlighting a lack of consistent productivity and creativity from that area of the pitch.
In contrast, Wirtz operates as a natural number ten and has demonstrated his ability to deliver both goals and assists regularly, with his displays for Leverkusen in the Bundesliga over the past two campaigns underlining his quality.
In the 2024/25 season alone, the right-footed playmaker produced 16 goals and 14 assists across all competitions for the German side, including an impressive six goals in just nine Champions League appearances.
| Florian Wirtz (Bundesliga) | 23/24 | 24/25 |
|---|---|---|
| Appearances | 32 | 31 |
| xG | 9.00 | 9.40 |
| Goals | 11 | 10 |
| Big chances created | 12 | 17 |
| xA | 9.75 | 9.44 |
| Assists | 11 | 12 |
| Stats Source: Sofascore | ||
As shown by his statistics over the past two Bundesliga seasons, Florian Wirtz has consistently delivered in the final third, reaching double digits for both goals and assists each year—highlighting his reliability as an attacking threat from midfield.
While there is still uncertainty over whether the 22-year-old can replicate that level of performance in the Premier League, he has already proven his quality on the international stage with Germany.
The midfielder recorded four goals and three assists across seven appearances in the Nations League, helping his country reach the semi-finals—offering further evidence that he could justify a significant investment from the reigning champions.
In addition to pursuing Wirtz, Liverpool may also look to bring in Morgan Gibbs-White, who has been linked with the club and could be seen as England’s answer to the German playmaker.
Liverpool’s Interest in Morgan Gibbs-White
A Spanish news source recently reported that Liverpool are among several clubs interested in signing the Nottingham Forest playmaker during the upcoming summer transfer window.
According to the report, Chelsea and Manchester City are also contenders in the race to acquire the England international from the Tricky Trees, who have secured qualification for next season’s UEFA Conference League.
The outlet further revealed that Nottingham Forest would consider offers around the £70 million mark from these three clubs, making the player a considerably more affordable option compared to Florian Wirtz as a number ten.
However, the report did not mention any formal bids or imminent negotiations between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool, suggesting that Morgan Gibbs-White might not currently be a priority target for the reigning Premier League champions.
Regardless of whether Liverpool manage to complete the Wirtz deal, the Nottingham Forest midfielder would represent an excellent addition to the squad, offering a homegrown alternative to the German star.
Why Gibbs-White Could Be England’s Own Wirtz
England supporters likely found themselves uninspired as their team struggled to break down Andorra, managing only a narrow 1-0 victory thanks to Harry Kane’s close-range goal in the 50th minute.
Despite the lacklustre attacking display from the Three Lions, Morgan Gibbs-White was introduced with just one minute remaining, leaving him little opportunity to influence the game.
A move to Anfield and the chance to compete in the Champions League would place the former Wolves player under the spotlight at the highest level of domestic football, making it difficult for manager Thomas Tuchel to overlook his contributions.
Joining Liverpool could also elevate Gibbs-White’s performance, as the team generates significantly more chances and maintains greater possession compared to Nottingham Forest.
During the 2024/25 campaign, Liverpool recorded an expected goals (xG) total of 82.2 compared to Forest’s 45.5, and averaged 57.7% possession against Forest’s 41.2%, according to FBref. This suggests that the English midfielder would join a considerably more dominant and attack-minded side by moving to Anfield.
| 24/25 Premier League | Morgan Gibbs-White |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 34 |
| xG | 6.34 |
| Goals | 7 |
| Big chances created | 10 |
| Key passes per game | 1.5 |
| Assists | 8 |
| Stats Source: Sofascore | |
Despite his team’s overall lack of dominance and creativity, the 25-year-old playmaker still managed to contribute a combined total of 15 goals and assists in the league, as shown in the table above.
Morgan Gibbs-White, once described as “exceptional” by Pep Guardiola, outperformed all of Liverpool’s central midfielders in both goals and assists. Just imagine the number of goal contributions he could accumulate playing in Arne Slot’s commanding side.
Unlike Florian Wirtz, the Forest star has yet to demonstrate his full potential in a team as strong as Leverkusen or Liverpool. Given the chance, he could thrive in the final third, based on his impressive output for Nottingham Forest.
By signing the Tricky Trees talent before the summer transfer window closes, Liverpool could discover England’s answer to Wirtz and effectively add two versions of the German star to their squad, giving Gibbs-White the platform to excel in a dominant team.
In other news, Liverpool Should Cancel Florian Wirtz Deal and Use £150m to Sign These Three Players Instead
