Wirtz transfer twist as two Liverpool bids REJECTED & 2 Reds stars eyed for swap

Liverpool have seen two bids rejected for Florian Wirtz as Bayer Leverkusen demand their hefty asking price - which could lead the Reds to tabled a player-plus-cash offer

Liverpool have seen two of their opening offers for Florian Wirtz rejected and may have to give Bayer Leverkusen a player if they want to succeed in landing the German. Wirtz has emerged as a key target for the Reds this summer.

They will have to smash their transfer record if they want to sign him, but first they and his Bundesliga club must agree on a fee. After two rounds of negotiations there has still been no breakthrough for the Premier League side.

Originally they offered £84million with an additional £12.6m in bonuses. After that was rejected they upped it again and tabled an overall package which totalled £109.6m, but both were ultimately knocked back reports Kicker.

The German club want £126m before they consider letting their playmaker go. Their club chief Fernando Carro previously said they "would never let Wirtz leave" for less than their valuation.

Harvey Elliott and Jarrell Quansah are seen as two players who could help the two parties reach a breakthrough in negotiations, with Leverkusen admiring both. With a clear amount between what Liverpool want to pay and what Leverkusen are demanding the former Fulham youngster or the homegrown centre-back could help bridge the gap.

Elliott struggled for game time throughout this season under Arne Slot and if Wirtz does arrive his minutes will likely decline further, which may motivate him to seek pastures new. The 22-year-old's signing may also hamper Dominik Szoboszlai's game time.

Liverpool have already struck a deal with Leverkusen this summer after securing the signing of Jeremie Frimpong. The Dutchman will fill the void left by Trent Alexander-Arnold and has signed for £30m after the Reds activated with release clause at the BayArena.

Leverkusen's managing director Simon Rolfes has said on the player's future: “It’s currently an open subject with Florian. There is concrete interest from Liverpool, but there’s no more to say right now. Florian is our player.”

Erik ten Hag has just been appointed as the club's new manager following the exit of Xabi Alonso, but refused to be drawn on possible exits ahead of pre-season. Leverkusen have also lost leading defender Jonathan Tah, who has moved to Bayern Munich following the expiry of his contract.