4 ways Liverpool persuaded Wirtz to join that have ultimately convinced him

Florian Wirtz appears convinced about joining Liverpool after holding talks with the club and manager Arne Slot, with four key factors said to have swayed the Bayer Leverkusen gem

Liverpool are set to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen after winning the race for his signature. The Reds are now the clear favourites to sign the Germany star, and have entered negotiations to seal a deal that will be a club record transfer.

Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich were keen on signing the German from their rivals, and had long been their No.1 summer target. But Wirtz is no longer interested in joining. Club president Herbert Hainer admitted on Saturday: “Max Eberl [sporting director] informed me that Florian Wirtz is probably leaning towards Liverpool.”

Manchester City were also in the running but supposedly withdrew after baulking at the financial demands of a potential deal. Leverkusen have been keen to land a fee in the region of £125million.

Wirtz and his camp, led by his father-cum-agent, Hans-Joachim, is now ready to be a part of Arne Slot's project after meeting with Liverpool. They told Bayern on Friday that they had made their choice to move to Anfield after being convinced that his development would be best served on Merseyside, after being impressed by Kop bosses - with Slot's pitch to the player proving decisive.

Wirtz was left impressed by the ambition shown by the current Premier League champions, who are aiming to build on the solid foundations laid by Slot in his first season in England. At the same time, Bayern's final roll of the dice to get a deal done left the player and his family rather underwhelmed.

Another advantage for Wirtz is that Slot recognises his adaptability – a trait that has proved critical for numerous stars at Anfield. He's done similar with players like Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, and Cody Gakpo, who have all played in multiple positions this season.

Plus, Wirtz will have a familiar face joining him on Merseyside in Jeremie Frimpong, with the Dutch international set to make his own summer move from Leverkusen to Liverpool.

Despite being in the European limelight for several years and already being a key player for his national team, it's easy to forget Wirtz is only 22. He made history back in 2020 as Leverkusen's youngest-ever player and the Bundesliga's youngest scorer at just 17.

This season, the young star has netted 16 goals and provided 15 assists in 45 appearances across all competitions. Only Bayern's Michael Olise matched him in the Bundesliga for double digits in both goals and assists, while just four other players had more direct goal involvements, three of whom are strikers.

However, Wirtz is far from reaching his full potential, and that vision of what lies ahead is a crucial part of Liverpool's allure. Firstly, in terms of his personal development, but also how the club has seemingly convinced him of their broader ambitions.

The current Liverpool squad is peppered with talents who joined the club in their early 20s and have since soared to new heights. Players like Ryan Gravenberch, Ibrahima Konate and Dominik Szoboszlai all transferred to Anfield at similar stages in their careers and are now integral parts of the team, not forgetting homegrown stars such as Curtis Jones and Conor Bradley.

Given this track record of nurturing young talent, it's logical for Wirtz to see how this could benefit him. This also ties into the broader vision at Anfield, which puts the club in a strong position for future success.

In terms of playing style, there are several positions where Wirtz could fit under Slot, although it may take some time to identify his best role. Xabi Alonso primarily used Wirtz as a No. 10 during his tenure at Leverkusen, but the player has also shone on both flanks and even as a false nine - a role which he is believed to have been earmarked for at Anfield.

This same openness to experimentation has seen players like Diaz, Jota and Gakpo thrive on Merseyside. Plus, Slot has demonstrated his ability to deploy these players outside their usual roles while still achieving success.

Lastly, Liverpool's pursuit of Dutch full-back Frimpong is almost as significant. The Manchester City academy graduate is close to returning to England after passing his medical ahead of a £30million move.

The two have grown close in recent years, sitting together in the dressing room at the BayArena. Frimpong, 24, even gave Wirtz lifts to training before the latter passed his driving test.