In the end, it was one particular trump card that Arne Slot played which proved to be the biggest factor in convincing Florian Wirtz to join Liverpool.
On Friday, the Reds announced the signing of the Germany international for a club-record fee of £116m including add-ons, which if triggered would make him the most expensive player in the history of English football (Sky Sports).
Fabrizio Romano claimed earlier this week that the 22-year-old is set to earn £200,000 per week plus bonuses at Anfield, which’d be the third-highest wage paid to anyone in the Dutchman’s current squad (Capology).
However, according to an in-depth article from The Athletic charting how the transfer came about, the money wasn’t the overriding factor in persuading Wirtz to sign for the Premier League champions, but rather clarity from Slot on the German’s role in the Liverpool line-up.
The report explains:
Full credit to Slot for being so clear and concise to the Reds’ new signing about where he’ll fit into the team, a conversation which appears to have ultimately tipped the scales in our favour.
Although Wirtz’s remarkable versatility may have been one of the big selling points for Liverpool – he played in nine different positions for Leverkusen last season – it seems likely that he’ll be utilised in his primary role as a left-sided attacking midfielder at Anfield (The Athletic).
Dominik Szoboszlai could duly be the sacrificial lamb from our strongest XI, but squad rotation and tactical flexibility ought to ensure that the Hungarian still sees plenty of game-time in 2025/26.
If indeed it was Slot’s clear plan which did more than anything else to win over the 22-year-old, it’s also a positive reflection on the player, who evidently places more value in his worth on the field than his bank balance – not that he’s exactly being paid a pittance, but the point still stands.
It looks as though Wirtz will be given the freedom to exert his phenomenal ability for Liverpool and have a leading part to play in what’ll hopefully be a successful retention of our Premier League title next May!
