Florian Wirtz to Man Utd transfer claim made as Liverpool handed new verdict before debut

Ex-Liverpool star Markus Babbel has hailed the signing of Florian Wirtz as the standout acquisition of the summer, despite the hefty figure it cost to snatch him from Bayer Leverkusen's clutches. Anfield was set abuzz as the Reds captured the highly sought-after German prodigy, sending ripples through both the Premier League and Europe.

Keen to mark its authority following a 20th league triumph, Liverpool went all-in to secure the services of the ambitious 22-year-old.

After a lengthy period of rumors and outmaneuvering competition including Bayern Munich and Manchester City for his signature, Wirtz finally made the switch to Merseyside last month in a deal potentially setting a new record for British football at $156 million.

Babbel, who donned the Liverpool kit between 2000-2004 and celebrated multiple major trophy wins during Gerard Houllier's management, sees immense value in the transfer for his old team, regardless of the huge sum exchanged. The retired German international insists that had Liverpool's fierce rival Manchester United been the one to recruit Wirtz, his assessment would remain unchanged.

"Florian Wirtz is easily the best signing of the summer transfer window so far," Babbel told Gameshub. "That was the deal of the year in my opinion and that isn't just because the Premier League champions signed him; if Man United had made the deal, it would be no different – he's a fantastic player that will add so much value to the team.

"No one was talking about Liverpool getting the deal done either! Everyone assumed he'd join Bayern Munich, Man City or Real Madrid. But it was always clear to me from the start that he'd be heading to Liverpool to play under Arne Slot and alongside some of the best players in Europe, such as Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah."

He further commented: "I would be surprised if a club managed to pull off a signing as good as Wirtz to Liverpool. For me, there's no doubt that he's the best signing of the window."

During his five-year stint at Leverkusen, Wirtz proved himself as one of the world's premier talents, justifying the hefty sum disbursed by Arne Slot's team for his acquisition.

After being introduced as the Reds' newest star signing, Wirtz shared his thoughts on the high-profile transition. "I would like to win everything every year," he claimed.

"In the end, we want to be successful. Last season they won the Premier League so my goal is for sure to win it again and also to go further in the Champions League. I'm really ambitious."

Wirtz considered the move to Liverpool as the pivotal "next step" for his progression, expressing excitement for the upcoming challenge. "I'm really excited to have a new adventure in front of me. This was also a big point of my thoughts.

"I want to have something completely new, to go out of the Bundesliga and to join the Premier League. I will see how I can perform there. I hope I can do my best.

"I just thought that it was the right point in my career to make the next step and of course I wanted to get to a club that is from the top three in the world. In my opinion, Liverpool is one of them. I just saw myself in the best hands in Liverpool."

Wirtz has linked up with former Leverkusen colleague Jeremie Frimpong, Hungarian defender Milos Kerkez, and Georgian ex-Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili as the latest additions to the Reds' squad this summer. Those three all made their debuts against Preston on Sunday, with Wirtz's first appearance still to come this summer.

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can read the original story in the Mirror by clicking here.

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