Liverpool Break Premier League Transfer Record With Florian Wirtz Signing

LIVERPOOL, FRIDAY – After protracted negotiations and intense competition with Bayern Munich and Manchester City, Liverpool has finally announced its success in recruiting Florian Wirtz, Saturday (21/6/2025) early morning WIB. The attacking midfielder from Bayer Leverkusen will strengthen Liverpool's front line as they aim to defend their Premier League title for the 2025-2026 season.

Liverpool has signed Writz for a transfer fee of 116 million pounds, approximately 2.5 trillion rupiah. This amount makes Writz the most expensive player in the Premier League at present.

The record transfer fee in the English Premier League was once held by Enzo Fernandez, when Chelsea signed him from Benfica for £106.7 million in the summer of 2023. This record was then broken by Moises Caicedo, when Chelsea acquired him from Brighton for £115 million at the end of 2023.

"I am very excited to have a new adventure ahead of me. It is finally over, and I have been waiting for a long time. This is also an important point in my mind. I want to have something completely new, to leave the Bundesliga and join the Premier League," said Wirtz.

The 22-year-old player hopes to give his best for Liverpool. Wirtz has spoken with several Liverpool players, and everyone at Liverpool will be perfect for him. "I am really looking forward to playing my first match," said Wirtz.

What is the real reason that made Liverpool dare to invest so much in just one player?

At the beginning of the era of Liverpool coach Arne Slot, "The Reds" more frequently employed a 4-2-3-1 formation. The position that has been most often rotated is the central striker. This includes Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez, who are accustomed to that position, as well as Luis Diaz, a winger, who has been tried in rotation.

It is clear that Slot has yet to find the most suitable figure to lead the front line. Players in that position are also what is being sought in this summer transfer window. The question is, why is Liverpool targeting Wirtz, who is originally an attacking midfielder?

The Liverpool formation indeed involves a central striker. However, the role of the spearhead is not that of a pure striker waiting in the penalty box. Jota or Diaz are more flexible in their movements, assisting in the midfield or on the flanks. They play the role of "false forwards."

"Si Merah," on the field, tends to adopt a 4-2-4 or 4-4-2 formation. The central striker plays a role similar to that of an attacking midfielder, typically occupied by Dominik Szoboszlai. This approach makes the presence of Wirtz seem very reasonable.

Leverkusen played with formations 3-4-2-1 and 3-5-2. Wirtz played as an attacking midfielder or forward on the left side in both formations. When deployed as a forward, his role did not change significantly. He more frequently operated outside rather than inside the penalty area.

With the arrival of Wirtz, Liverpool has spent £185.5 million or approximately Rp 4.1 trillion to recruit three players. They are Writz (£116 million), Jeremie Frimpong (£29.5 million), and Milos Kerkez (£40 million).

Like Writz, Frimpong was also brought in from Leverkusen. The Dutchman was needed to strengthen Liverpool's right wing-back. In addition to being excellent in defense, the 24-year-old also has the speed to help attack and has proven to have scored five goals and made six assists for Leverkusen.

Before the official announcement from Liverpool, Writz and Frimpong took a photo together on a boat while on vacation. Frimpong uploaded the photo on his social media account, accompanied by the caption "My Boy." The two will reunite once again, but this time to represent Liverpool.

Meanwhile, Liverpool and AFC Bournemouth are reported to have agreed on the transfer process of Milos Kerkez to Merseyside, the home of Liverpool. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano wrote on his social media account that the left-back will be purchased for 40 million pounds and is set to undergo a medical examination.

"The left-back from Hungary will be heading to Merseyside next Tuesday. The agreement has been verbally approved for weeks, without any doubt, and now all the documents have also been approved," wrote Romano. (AP)