Liverpool may now have to do battle with Real Madrid and Barcelona for the signature of a £80m midfielder this summer, according to former scout Mick Brown.
Florian Wirtz race heating up
The transfer window is yet to officially open, but the Reds are clearly looking to get their business done early, with a deal for Jeremie Frimpong looking like it is edging closer to completion, and the Dutchman’s Bayer Leverkusen teammate could follow him to Anfield.
Indeed, Florian Wirtz has emerged as a major target for Arne Slot’s side, who have now taken the action of submitting a concrete contract offer for the German, but a deal will not be cheap, as the total package could amount to over £250m all-in.
Wirtz is being targeted to bolster the attacking midfield area, having consistently provided goals and assists for Leverkusen ever since breaking into the first team at a very young age.
|
Season |
Bundesliga appearances |
Goals |
Assists |
|
2020-21 |
29 |
5 |
6 |
|
2021-22 |
24 |
7 |
10 |
|
2022-23 |
17 |
1 |
6 |
|
2023-24 |
32 |
11 |
12 |
|
2024-25 |
31 |
10 |
13 |
As such, the 22-year-old could be an exciting addition to the attack, but there have also been suggestions that Slot is also looking to strengthen in a slightly deeper area, with Brown telling Football Insider that Liverpool are now racing Real Madrid for Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton.
Barcelona have also been “having a look” at the FA Cup-winning midfielder, who has a huge asking price of £80m, which could pose a problem for the Reds, and Brown believes the Merseysiders may also have some concerns over certain aspects of his game.
The former scout said: “Adam Wharton’s quality is unquestionable, there are no concerns there. In the Premier League, that’s very, very important.
“On the other side of things is his ability to cover the ground, and he seems to me to be a yard short in terms of covering the ground. So that’s going to be a concern for the likes of Liverpool or Man City – albeit not a major one.”
Wharton is a “generational talent”
Brown suggests the Palace star may not yet be the full package, but he is still very young, and the 21-year-old has been tipped to be capable of going on to achieve big things by members of the media, who have lauded the midfielder as a “generational talent”.
Despite not playing in as advanced a role as Wirtz, the England international also has attacking tendencies, given his ability to advance the ball further up the pitch, averaging the second-highest percentage of forward passes in the Premier League this term.
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The Reds have now made a move to sign a forward, who is also wanted by Paris Saint-Germain.
Brown’s phrasing suggests Real Madrid’s interest is not advanced, but Trent Alexander-Arnold’s prospective move underlines the allure of moving to the Bernabeu, so Liverpool could find it tough to win the race for Wharton if the Spanish side come calling.
Not only that, but Madrid are also in the race for Wirtz, with the European giants keeping an eye on the German, which will be another cause for concern.
