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Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has warned new Reds signing Florian Wirtz that his massive transfer fee has put added pressure on him. While the German tactician called his countryman an 'outstanding player', he doesn't understand spending over £100 million to sign anyone.
Wirtz made the jump to Bayer Leverkusen's first team in 2020 and dominated the Bundesliga for the five years, racking up 57 goals and 65 assists in 197 appearances. He helped Die Werkself win an unprecedented invincible league title in the 2023-24 season, alongside a DFB-Pokal (2023-24) and a German Supercup (2024-25) title.
On June 20, Wirtz's move to Liverpool was made official. The fee, which is reported to be a club record, will reach a whopping £116 million and become the British transfer record if all add-on conditions are met.
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While Klopp praised his countryman, he claimed that the transfer fee paid by the Merseysiders is 'insane'. Speaking to Welt, the 58-year-old said (via GOAL):
"There's no question about it, it's an insane sum, and one that a player at Liverpool is aware of if things don't go well for two or three games. We all agree that we're talking about a great player (Wirtz) here. I know I once said that I'm out if we pay 100 million euros for a player. But the world is changing. That's just the way the market is. He's an outstanding player who can give any club something great. Whether he'll make the reigning English champions even better remains to be seen."
Besides Wirtz, Liverpool have also completed the high-profile signings of his former teammate Jeremie Frimpong (£29.5 million) and Bournemouth full-back Milos Kerkez (£40 million). All three players will officially join the club on July 1, the first day of the summer transfer window.
"I made a promise" - Jurgen Klopp reveals that he turned down German national team to complete Liverpool rebuild
Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has revealed that he rejected a job offer from the German national team in order to complete the Reds' rebuild.
After a fifth-place finish with the Reds in the 2022-23 campaign, rumours were rife about the 45-year-old departing the club and taking over Die Mannschaft. However, he stayed on at Anfield for another season, revolutionizing the midfield with the signings of Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo.
Although the Merseysiders only managed a third-placed finish in the Premier League and an EFL Cup title in Klopp's final season, the foundations were laid for the future. Speaking to Welt, the German tactician asserted that the 'final phase' of his rebuild was of utmost importance in order to help his successor.
He said (via Empire of the Kop):
"We had to go through a big change. It was important to me to see it through and leave the club in a strong position for whoever followed. I wanted to end this chapter properly. I felt responsible. I didn’t want to leave in the middle of a process."
When Feyenoord manager Arne Slot was announced as Klopp's successor, he was handed a squad that was potentially capable of dominating English and European football. Fittingly enough, in just his debut season, Slot won the EPL title with Liverpool and finished atop the UEFA Champions League league phase.
