Liverpool's response to Wirtz 'meeting' as Arne Slot battles for £126m transfer

Liverpool and Bayern Munich are both interested in signing Florian Wirtz this summer and the Reds have responded to claims from Uli Hoeness that they have already met with the player's representatives

Liverpool have responded to claims that the club have met with Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz ahead of a potential summer move to Anfield. Wirtz has been heavily linked with a move away from Leverkusen, having starred since breaking into the first-team as a 17-year-old in 2020.

It recently emerged that Manchester City have pulled out of the race to sign Wirtz due to financial concerns about the deal, although Liverpool and Bayern Munich remain interested in the playmaker.

Bayern's honorary president Uli Hoeness was recently quizzed about the club's interest in Wirtz and claimed that the 22-year-old has already met with Liverpool. Speaking after Bayern's final game of the season on Sunday, Hoeness said: "What can I tell you now?

"You've been writing nonsense for weeks about him going to Manchester City, even though he was at Liverpool. We'll provide you with facts at some point, not more speculation!"

However, the Times state that Liverpool have insisted that a 'meeting did not take place' between the club and Wirtz's representatives. The report adds that Liverpool and Bayern are in a 'tug-of-war' over a £126million swoop for Wirtz.

Liverpool are already closing in on the signing of Wirtz's Leverkusen teammate Jeremie Frimpong, having agreed to meet the £30million release clause in the full-back's contract.

Frimpong is set to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold after the England international announced that he would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season when his contract expires, with Real Madrid expected to sign him on a free transfer.

"After 20 years at Liverpool Football Club, now is the time for me to confirm that I will be leaving at the end of the season," Alexander-Arnold announced earlier this month. "This is easily the hardest decision I've ever made in my life.

"This club has been my whole life – my whole world – for 20 years. From the Academy right through until now, the support and love I have felt from everyone inside and outside of the club will stay with me forever. I will forever be in debt to you all. My love for this club will never die."

Frimpong almost joined Liverpool's academy at the age of nine, but ultimately ended up signing for Manchester City as Merseyside was too "far away". He explained: "There were many scouts, but Liverpool was my first choice.

"I wanted to sign there, but nobody in my family drove a car then and Liverpool was far away. Manchester City was much closer, so that made a lot more sense."