Florian Wirtz: Liverpool 'Discuss' New Bid Strategy, Could Avoid Record Fee | OneFootball

Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen continue to discuss a potential transfer involving Florian Wirtz, reports in Germany state, with a potential swap deal in the offing to help reduce the amount of money the newly crowned Premier League champions would need to pay.

While he may drift unnoticed between the lines on the pitch, Wirtz has been unable to escape the headlines during an early season transfer saga. The sought-after playmaker was initially thought to be subject of a three-way tussle between Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Real Madrid.

The Spanish giants never formalised their interest and City reportedly pulled out of the race due to the staggering finances involved. Just as Bayern thought they had a clear path to Wirtz’s signature, it was claimed this weekend that the 22-year-old had snubbed the Bundesliga champions for their Premier League counterparts, Liverpool.

Leverkusen are thought to be demanding a flat fee in the region of €150 million (£126 million; $170.2 million), which would shatter Liverpool’s existing club-record outlay. In a bid to avoid such an eye-watering cash injection, Sky Germany report that the Reds have discussed the prospect of offering Leverkusen a lower fee plus a player in exchange for Wirtz.

The Bundesliga outfit—who have also lost their manager Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid this week—are thought to be in search of a goalkeeper, central defender, striker and, naturally, a replacement for Wirtz.

Liverpool are widely expected to part ways with a number of players this summer, including the mercurial centre-forward Darwin Núñez. Backup goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has also been tipped to move on while the diminutive attacking midfielder, Harvey Elliott, could potentially step into the void left by Wirtz. Elliott has recently shifted his public stance on a Liverpool exit this summer, revealing that he “needs to do what’s best for [his] career” in the upcoming offseason.

Wirtz is not the only Leverkusen player heavily linked with a move to Liverpool. Jeremie Frimpong’s arrival has not yet been confirmed, but is expected to be announced in the coming days after his relatively affordable £29.5 million ($40 million) release clause was reportedly triggered by the Reds.