Liverpool boss heads to United States for Wirtz talks | OneFootball

Liverpool appear to be one of Bayern Munich’s toughest competitors - if not the toughest - in the race to sign Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz.

According to Sport Bild, the Reds are preparing to intensify their efforts to land the 22-year-old attacking midfielder.

After meeting with Wirtz’s family last week, Liverpool managing director Michael Edwards is planning a trip to the United States to visit the headquarters of Fenway Sports Group, the club’s owners. There, he wants to seek final approval to move forward with a big-money transfer.

The meeting, scheduled following a recent visit to Liverpool by Wirtz’s entourage, underlines just how serious the newly-crowned Premier League champions are in their pursuit of the German international.

Bayern, meanwhile, are a step ahead, with board member for sport Max Eberl already having received the green light from the club’s supervisory board to pursue the deal.

However, a swift agreement remains unlikely. Bayer Leverkusen are demanding €150 million, while Bayern are expected to open negotiations with a €100 million offer.

Sport Bild also reports that the outcome of the Wirtz negotiations will be a key factor in how Bayern’s leadership assesses Max Eberl’s work as board member for sport. The 51-year-old's contract expires in 2027.

After Manchester City pulled out of the race for Wirtz, Real Madrid have been mentioned as suitors.