Liverpool chairman reveals how close Florian Wirtz transfer came to collapsing

Liverpool chairman Tom Werner has revealed the club may have been close to pulling out of a deal for Florian Wirtz as he opened up on what has already been a record-breaking transfer window.

Wirtz is one of three new signings to have already arrived at Anfield this summer as Arne Slot and Richard Hughes have wasted little time in strengthening following the Premier League title triumph.

Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez have been added either side of the German’s signing, with the latter’s arrival being confirmed this week. It’s Wirtz though that is the most eye-catching of Liverpool’s business so far, with the Reds having pulled off quite the coup.

A move for Wirtz hadn’t looked to be on the cards until recent weeks, with Bayern Munich having seemingly been his most likely destination earlier on in the summer. What’s more, interest from Manchester City and Real Madrid spelled out the task Liverpool would have in convincing the 22-year-old on a move to Anfield.

The Reds quickly turned things in their favor though, and after managing to talk Bayer Leverkusen down from its initial $176m valuation, Wirtz was officially unveiled as a Liverpool player last week.

It still required a club record fee of $136M, which could become a Premier League record should a further $22M be paid in add-ons, and had Leverkusen demanded any more, the deal may never have happened.

Opening up on Wirtz’s signing, Werner told the Liverpool Echo: "We (FSG) do not meddle in those kinds of decisions.

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"We have full confidence that Richard and Arne are being extremely careful and that if they bless something or recommend something then we are going to support.

“There was a point in the process that we thought we had stretched to a generous proposal and if we thought Leverkusen wanted 20 percent more then we may not have been able to get there.

"We don't take anything for granted but [Wirtz] has been the greatest player in the Bundesliga last season but playing in the Premier League, it will be a different challenge and a new opportunity for him.

"Those signings (Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker) were certainly critical to our success but, you know, I am too experienced, you have to make your own decisions and trust the people that make them but they don't always work out right and we have a lot of competitors as well."

With more than two months still to go in the summer window, there is scope for Liverpool to do even more business, although it is more likely we will see outgoings become the priority over the next few weeks.

Nevertheless, Werner knows how important it is for the Reds to freshen things up this summer, even after cruising to the Premier League title.

"I think you have to be relentless,” Werner added. “I think that, from my experience and being involved in a sport for a long time - I first got involved when I acquired the San Diego Padres in 1990, 35 years ago - from my vantage point, it is so difficult to repeat not just football but all sports.

"One of the things which is a danger point is if you bring back the same squad because I think it is just important to alter the chemistry to bring in new faces. So I think Arne's strategy is the right one and hopefully we can say in a year's time he did it the right way. But I do think it was important to bring in new faces."

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