Liverpool win race to sign Wirtz from Leverkusen

Liverpool person breached their transportation grounds for the signing of Germany planetary Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, the nine announced connected Friday.

ESPN antecedently reported the woody to beryllium worthy a full of £116 cardinal ($156.27 million) -- it includes an archetypal £100 cardinal outgo with £16 cardinal successful add-ons.

Wirtz has signed a five-year woody with the Premier League champions, a root told ESPN. His garment fig is expected to beryllium announced aboriginal successful the summer.

The woody has seen Arne Slot's broadside ward disconnected stiff contention from Bayern Munich and Manchester City to onshore the highly rated attacker -- helium was ranked No. 2 connected the ESPN 100 list of attacking midfielders.

Wirtz, who registered 57 goals and 65 assists successful 197 appearances for Leverkusen, becomes Liverpool's 2nd signing of the summertime pursuing the accomplishment of Wirtz's erstwhile Leverkusen teammate Jeremie Frimpong.

The 22-year-old had been expected to stay successful Germany adjacent season, either staying enactment astatine Leverkusen oregon joining Bundesliga rivals Bayern. However, the 22-year-old opted to articulation Liverpool weeks aft Slot's broadside lifted the Premier League title.

Wirtz is highly thought of astatine Anfield having demonstrated the quality to play successful a assortment of attacking positions for some nine and country. He had been earmarked astatine City arsenic a imaginable replacement for Kevin De Bruyne, who near connected a escaped transportation and joined Napoli.

However, sources told ESPN that pursuing conversations with Leverkusen and Wirtz's representatives, City opted to locomotion distant from the negotiating table, with a root telling ESPN that nine bosses did not presumption the woody arsenic financially viable.

Information from ESPN's Rob Dawson contributed to this report.