Liverpool are reported to have made their first official bid for Bayer Leverkusen attacker Florian Wirtz, with the fee being in excess of £83m plus add-ons.
The Reds will parade the Premier League trophy around the city of Liverpool on Monday after they were presented with the title following their 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Boss Arne Slot has been praised for improving the likes of Mohamed Salah, who ended the season as the division's top scorer (29), while also having provided the most assists (18).
The winger will be 33 by the time 2025-26 gets underway, and some of the team's offensive burden may need to be shared as he ages.
Attacker Wirtz of Leverkusen has strongly been linked with a move to Anfield, and journalist Fabrizio Romano claims that Liverpool have submitted their first official bid, adding that any deal is expected to be completed soon.
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Why Wirtz makes sense for Liverpool
The Reds could lose a number of attacking players this summer, including left-winger Luis Diaz, who has been linked with a move to Barcelona and the Saudi Pro League.
Diaz's exit could open up a spot on the left for Wirtz, and he would likely form an excellent relationship with Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez.
Kerkez excels when charging up the left flank while Wirtz is at his best when he is able to roam in central zones of the pitch, so perhaps the former could occupy wide areas to allow the latter to move into more narrow positions.
The 22-year-old Leverkusen star could also play in an attacking midfield role, but considering Dominik Szoboszlai is instructed to help cover defensively for Salah, playing the German playmaker in the number 10 position could limit his influence on the ball.
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Why Wirtz could help Salah
Though Salah has excelled for Liverpool this season, he has at times been let down by his teammates in the final third, with Diaz, Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez all facing criticism this term.
The latter two only managed to score a combined 11 goals in the Premier League in 2024-25, and their inability to impact proceedings in the final third led to Salah being the team's only true threat.
By adding Wirtz to the XI Slot would be able to introduce new attacking dynamics to his side, and opposition defenders may not be able to focus as much on Liverpool's top scorer, which could lead to him being given more space to attack from.
Lewis Nolan
