What Wirtz will bring to Liverpool as 22-year-old ‘completes part two’ of medical
Florian Wirtz can now be considered a Liverpool player after completing part two of his medical and putting pen to paper on a five-year contract, but what will he bring to Arne Slot?
Florian Wirtz can now be considered a Liverpool player, as he hasĀ reportedly completed part two of his medical and put pen to paper on a five-year contract.
The Bayer Leverkusen sensation arrived in England on Thursday to finalise hisĀ record-breaking switch to Anfield and is believed to have passed the first part of his medical last night.
The secondĀ round of Wirtz’s examinations were scheduled for Friday, and according to journalist Florian Plettenberg, the attacker has now completed those tests and signed his long-term agreement.
All that is left is the official announcement, and Plettenberg adds that Wirtz is expected to be unveiled as a Liverpool player later on Friday, becoming their third summer signing in the process.
Wirtz ‘toĀ return to Germany’ after Liverpool unveiling
The 22-year-old will follow ex-Leverkusen teammate Jeremie Frimpong to Merseyside, as well as Hungarian goalkeeper Armin Pecsi, and he willĀ reportedly head back to Germany on holiday before pre-season gets underway.
Liverpool have agreed to pay Ā£100m up front for the midfielder, making him theirĀ record signing of all time and also the most expensive German footballer in history, shattering theĀ record set by Kai Havertz’s Ā£71m move to Chelsea from Leverkusen in 2020.
If all add-ons are hit, the total fee could hit a staggering Ā£116m, which wouldĀ represent a new all-time high for a Premier League signing, eclipsing the Ā£106.8m Chelsea paid for Enzo Fernandez in 2023.
Liverpool’s summer business will not conclude with theĀ record signing of Wirtz, as the 22-year-old’s signing should precede a Ā£45m deal for Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez, which is now said to be at its final stages.
The Premier League champions are also expected to make a ‘significant’ offer for a Premier League centre-back in anticipation of Jarell Quansah’s move to Leverkusen, which is now progressing.
What will Wirtz bring to Liverpool afterĀ record transfer?
The numbers well and truly speak for themselves when it comes to Wirtz, who will leave Leverkusen with a terrific tally of 122 goal involvements from 197 appearances, 57 of his own and 65 assists.
If those base-level statistics were not impressive enough at face value, the 22-year-old blossomed into one of Europe’s most sought-after talents after suffering a devastating ACL injury in March 2022, which took him almost nine full months toĀ recover from.
Coming back from such a severe problem stronger than ever, WirtzĀ ranks in the top 1% of midfielders/wingers in Europe’s big five leagues for passes completed over the past 365 days, averaging just over 51 accurate balls per 90.
The 22-year-old is also in the top 3% for carries and goal-creating actions per game – averaging 5.5 in the latter category –Ā the top 4% for successful take-ons and the top 7% for goal-creating actions.
Capable of shining either centrally or on the left, the versatile Wirtz will bring playmaking and goalscoring excellence to Arne Slot’s side, and the early signs are that he will be worth the money.
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