Liverpool are reportedly set to offer Florian Wirtz an impressive salary as they near a record-breaking deal for the Bayer Leverkusen standout.
The Reds are pulling out all the stops for Wirtz, having successfully outmaneuvered competition from the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich.
They have seemingly reached an agreement with Bayer Leverkusen regarding a final transfer fee for their prized attacking midfielder.
The Premier League champions have reportedly finalized a deal that could escalate to €136.3 million (£116.1 million, $157.8 million).
If all performance bonuses are fulfilled, this would mark the highest transfer fee in British football history.
In addition to the hefty transfer amount, Liverpool are also prepared to make a significant investment in Wirtz’s contract.
Initially reported by BILD, the plan is to offer the 22-year-old midfielder a deal worth up to €22 million (£18.6 million; $25.1 million) annually, which could equate to around £355,000 per week.
This figure is believed to be in line with the terms Mohamed Salah secured when he extended his contract in April.
However, Sky Sports News adds that Wirtz’s salary may actually fall within the range of €12–15 million (£10.2–12.8 million, $13.9–17.3 million) per year, translating to a maximum of approximately £245,000 weekly.
Wirtz is set to become the third-highest paid player in Liverpool, but he still trails behind the impressive salaries of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk.
The talented Salah reportedly started with a base salary of around £350,000 per week, and after extending his contract without a pay cut, he now earns nearly double what Wirtz will receive when factoring in bonuses.
His total earnings are estimated to be around £25 million ($33.8 million) annually.
Similarly, Van Dijk, who inked a contract extension in April, is recognized as the highest-paid defender in the world, bringing in about £400,000 ($530,000) per week, according to The Athletic.
Outside of Salah and Van Dijk, no other Liverpool player comes close to matching Wirtz’s anticipated salary.
Trent Alexander-Arnold might have been in line for a comparable payday if he had accepted any of the club’s offers to extend his time at Liverpool.
However, as he expressed in his open letter to fans, his move to Real Madrid was driven by reasons beyond finance.