Wirtz move will blow the previous record British transfer out of the water

Premier League champions Liverpool are closing in on a £125m move for young Germany star Florian Wirtz that will blow the previous record British transfer out of the water

Florian Wirtz appears close to joining Liverpool in a British record £125m transfer deal with the Germany star set to follow Xabi Alonso out the Bayer Leverkusen door.

And while only two years have passed since the Anfield club backed out of the race to sign Jude Bellingham for £100m because the price tag was too rich, they are now set to blow the rest of their domestic rivals out of the water with a bumper deal early in the summer transfer window.

Wirtz, 22, has scored 16 goals and registered 15 assists this term having won the Bundesliga last season. Bayern have been pursuing a move for almost two years and had believed until recently that Wirtz preferred a move to Munich.

But the player’s father, Hans-Joachim, who also acts as his agent, informed the club’s hierarchy this week that the young star is heading elsewhere. On Saturday, Bayern president Hainer declared: “Max Eberl [the Bavarians' sporting director] informed me that Florian Wirtz is probably leaning towards Liverpool.”

And should the move be completed it will break the record transfer fee paid by a Premier League club. The Reds will be hoping their blockbuster deal works out significantly better than others that reset the benchmark.

Here are the five most recent examples of the glass ceiling being smashed...and how that isn't always an indicator of immediate success.

Angel Di Maria - Real Madrid to Manchester United - £60m (August 2014)

The Argentina international arrived from Real Madrid to Old Trafford as the supposed man to stop the post-Ferguson era slide. But he hated the weather, could not adapt to the Premier League and disappeared to Paris Saint-Germain after a single season. Di Maria, 37, is set to leave Benfica this summer.

Paul Pogba - Juventus to Manchester United - £89m (August 2016)

Having left United for Juve on a free four years earlier, accused of disrespecting the club by Sir Alex Ferguson, the France midfielder returned for a huge fee and, really, failed to make much of an impact before heading back to Turin. Pogba is currently a free agent having served a doping ban for raised testosterone levels.

Jack Grealish - Aston Villa to Manchester City - £100m (August 2021)

Switch from his boyhood club to Pep Guardiola ’s juggernaut has brought plenty of medals and silverware but the off-the-cuff excitement has been quelled and he has spent much of the past two seasons on the bench at City.

Enzo Fernandez - Benfica to Chelsea - £106m (January 2023)

Chelsea's transfer policy since being taken over by Clearlake in 2022 has been patchy at best. And the club's new owners wasted no time in showcasing their spending power in the market.

Argentina midfielder has been much improved this season but questions remain over the size of fee paid and expectation remains that there is much more to come.

Moises Caicedo - Brighton to Chelsea - £115m (August 2023)

But that Fernandez record, lasted less than a year, with Chelsea spending big money on another midfielder in the following window.

Having struggled to make an impact at Stamford Bridge last season, Caicedo has been Chelsea ’s best player this time around. In recent months he has been used at right back out of possession while stepping into midfield when Enzo Maresca’s team are on the ball.