Wirtz to Liverpool doubts emerge as Reds make ‘important survey’ for £110m star in ‘last few hours’
Liverpool have been enquiring about AC Milan attacker Rafael Leao putting their move for Florian Wirtz in a little bit of doubt, according to reports.
The Reds are ticking along nicely in the summer transfer market with their early Premier League win in April allowing them to get a head start on recruitment,
Jeremie Frimpong has already signed in a £29.5m deal from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen with the Netherlands international set to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold, who will join Real Madrid.
A report on Tuesday claimed that Milos Kerkez could become their second signing of the summer with Liverpool apparently striking a ‘full agreement’ with Bournemouth for the transfer.
And the Reds recruitment team are also working away to seal a deal for Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Wirtz with Liverpool having two bids rejected so far.
Wirtz wants to join Liverpool and a deal is thought to be on track despite the Bundesliga side looking to get more money out of the Premier League outfit.
READ: Florian Wirtz to Liverpool next? Van Dijk tops ranking of all 17 £70m-plus Premier League signings
After the way the Martin Zubimendi deal collapsed in last summer, a report from former CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs claimed that Liverpool still had a “nagging doubt” over the Wirtz transfer.
Jacobs told The Football Terrace YouTube channel: “Everybody got excited, rightly so from a Liverpool point of view, because Wirtz had informed both Man City and Bayern that his preference was to go to Anfield.
“Despite that Liverpool have been cautious because they still sense there is a possibility, even if it’s not likely, that Wirtz stays at Leverkusen and does an extra year and moves in summer 2026.
“The reason Liverpool are cautious is because that’s the nature of how they do the deal, it was the same for Zubimendi. With Wirtz it still required that club negotiation. Talks are advanced and it’s heading in a positive direction.
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“There’s a realistic chance this gets done in the 1st to 10th of June window, and Wirtz becomes a Liverpool player, but there is that nagging doubt within the Liverpool hierarchy that says Leverkusen are not just going to bend over here, Leverkusen want an important fee.”
And now Italian website Tuttosport (via Sport Witness) insist that Liverpool have made an ‘important survey’ in the ‘last few hours’ for AC Milan winger Leao, which Sport Witness describe as ‘an insurance policy in case Bayer stick to that €150m demand’.
If Liverpool can get a deal for Wirtz over the line then Manchester United legend Gary Neville would be impressed by the Reds’ early business as they eye “world-class players”.
Neville said on the US Overlap: “I think when you’re talking about winning the league, what is it that improves you?
“I mean, the only thing that’s going to improve you when you win the league is signing world-class players, or players that have got the potential to be world-class players. So signing Wirtz is fantastic.
“Frimpong and then there’s talk of Kerkez as well, deals with their right and left-back situations.
“So to get those three done, if they were to get those three done quite quickly, would be smart business. But I wouldn’t have expected anything else from Liverpool.
“Maybe slightly surprised that they’ve gone so heavy on Wirtz in terms of the fee. They don’t normally go that big, but Slot deserves it, by the way. He waited 12 months for a player to sign.”
