Florian Wirtz will be the joint seventh most expensive footballer - based on initial fees Florian Wirtz is set to become the 10th footballer to move for a nine-figure fee after Liverpool agreed to pay Bayer Leverkusen an initial £100m for the Germany attacking midfielder. Including add-ons, the Reds could end up paying Leverkusen £116m. The move will make Wirtz, 22, Liverpool's club record signing, the most expensive German football ever - and the biggest sale by a Bundesliga club. Liverpool already have the world's second most expensive goalkeeper - Alisson - and centre-back - Virgil van Dijk. The British record for an initial fee remains the £107m Chelsea paid for Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez in 2023. Six months later they signed Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo for an initial £100m, which could rise to £115m. Wirtz's initial fee means he moves for exactly half the world record, which remains the £200m PSG paid Barcelona for Neymar in 2017. Here BBC Sport looks at some of the most expensive players ever - by position, league and nationality. We are using initial fees, excluding add-ons, where possible - including reported figures where they were officially undisclosed. This video can not be played Highlights: Fernandez free-kick helps Chelsea beat Villa Chelsea's £107m addition of Argentine Fernandez remains the British transfer record. There is then a four-way tie on £100m - with three having potential add-ons. Wirtz's could end up being the biggest of those with £16m in add-ons, while Caicedo's could reach £115m. Declan Rice moved from West Ham to Arsenal for a fee which could reach £105m, while Jack Grealish's move from Aston Villa to Manchester City in 2021 was for a flat £100m. Chelsea also rank high up with their £97.5m signing of Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku, while Manchester United's acquisitions of Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba (£89m), Ajax winger Antony (£82m) and Leicester defender Harry Maguire (£80m) are next on the list. Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol (£77m) is next, with Lukaku appearing for the second time courtesy of his £75m move from Everton to Manchester United in 2017. Until the Wirtz transfer is finalised, Netherlands centre-back Van Dijk, at £75m, is Liverpool's record signing. Alisson's move from Roma for £66.8m is next. Striker Darwin Nunez cost an initial £64m, rising to £85m, when he joined from Benfica - and midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai cost £60m from RB Leipzig in 2023. Naby Keita, also a midfielder from Leipzig, cost £48m in July 2018 - a club record at the time. The two most expensive signings of all time were made by Paris St-German in the same summer. PSG first spent £200m on Barcelona's Neymar in 2017, before adding Monaco's Kylian Mbappe, initially on loan, in what became a £165.7m deal. No other Ligue 1 signings make the top 40. Randal Kolo Muani is the next highest after his £76.4m move from Eintracht Frankfurt in September 2023. Transfermarkt reports the 16 most expensive Ligue 1 signings have all been by PSG. This video can not be played Felix shows 'class' and 'quality as he scores Chelsea's fifth goal Spanish clubs have made three of the top 10 most expensive signings of all time, although - perhaps surprisingly - none involve Real Madrid. Atletico Madrid's £113m move for Benfica forward Joao Felix in 2019 is third on the all-time list, when you exclude potential add-ons for Barcelona signings Philippe Coutinho (£105m, rising to £142m) and Ousmane Dembele (£96.8m, rising to £135.5m). Level with Fernandez in fourth is the £107m Barcelona paid Atletico for Antoine Griezmann in 2019. Coutinho and Dembele are next on La Liga list. Real's biggest signing remains the initial £89m they paid Chelsea for Eden Hazard in 2019. That fee reportedly could have reached £150m, but it is unlikely many of the add-ons were met before he retired in 2023. This video can not be played All of Cristiano Ronaldo's FA Cup goals The Italian league's record spend was on a 33-year-old, with Juventus paying £99.2m in 2018 for Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo. Next comes Juve's £75.3m signing of Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain in 2016, then Inter's £74m move for Lukaku from Manchester United in 2019 - which only ranks as Lukaku's third biggest move. Juve are next, too, with Matthijs de Ligt costing £67.5m from Ajax in 2019. This video can not be played Kane on 'magical' Bundesliga title celebrations As would be expected, Bayern Munich are responsible for the majority of Germany's biggest signings - topped by their £86.4m move for Tottenham striker Harry Kane in 2023. The record before that was Lucas Hernandez's £68m move from Atletico Madrid in 2019. They paid Juventus £65.5m for De Ligt in 2022 and last summer signed Crystal Palace and France winger Michael Olise for £50m. The biggest purchase by a team outside of Europe's top five leagues is Al-Hilal's £77.6m move to sign Neymar from PSG in 2023. Al-Nassr paid £64.5m to sign Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran in February. Until the relatively recent Saudi spending spree, most of the biggest signings by non-European clubs had been made in China between 2016 and 2019. They were headlined by Shanghai SIPG's £60m signing of Chelsea midfielder Oscar in 2017. Rice and Grealish jointly hold the title of being the most expensive British footballer. Jude Bellingham's 2023 move from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid for a initial £88.5m puts him third. Then comes England captain Kane to Bayern, and Wales winger Gareth Bale, who made an £85m move from Tottenham to Real Madrid in 2013. Maguire, the £80m man, is followed by Jadon Sancho, who moved in 2021 from Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United for £73m. Mason Mount is next following his £55m move from Chelsea to United. Scott McTominay is the most expensive Scot, costing Napoli £25.7m last summer from Manchester United - narrowly beating the £25m Arsenal paid Celtic for left-back Kieran Tierney in 2019. Northern Ireland's priciest player remains Jamal Lewis, who made a £15m switch from Norwich to Newcastle in 2020. Argentina's most expensive player is Fernandez and Spain's is £71m Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, who was signed from Athletic Bilbao. France's is Mbappe, Brazil's is Neymar and Van Dijk leads the way for Dutch players. Ronaldo is top for Portugal, Belgium's record is Lukaku and Germany's will be Wirtz. Sandro Tonali is the most expensive Italian after his £55m move from AC Milan to Newcastle. This video can not be played Haaland misses penalty against Bournemouth Most of the priciest goalkeepers have gone to Premier League teams, led by Chelsea's £71m outlay on Kepa. Alisson's move to Liverpool the same summer ranks second, followed by Manchester United's signing of Inter Milan's Andre Onana in 2023 for £43.8m. Next is Manchester City's 2017 signing of Benfica's Ederson for £35m. The Ederson move ended Gianluigi Buffon's 16-year reign as the world's most expensive keeper - following his £32.6m move from Parma to Juventus. Thibaut Courtois' switch from Chelsea to Real Madrid was reportedly worth about £35m - but some of that may have been add-ons. This video can not be played Maguire scores late winner against Leicester Manchester United's £80m signing of Maguire in 2019 remains the world record fee for a defender. Second on the list is the £77m Manchester City paid for Croatia full-back Gvardiol in 2023. Van Dijk's £75m move from Southampton to Liverpool sits third, with Wesley Fofana's £70m switch from Leicester to Chelsea not far behind. Bayern Munich's signings of Hernandez from Atletico Madrid (£68m in 2019) and De Ligt from Juventus (£65.6m in 2022) are next. The most expensive midfielder is Argentine Fernandez after his £107m move to Chelsea on 1 February 2023. In second place is Coutinho, who cost Barcelona £105m when they signed him from Liverpool in 2018. And then there's the four-way £100m Premier League tie - with Caicedo, Wirtz, Rice and Grealish. Next is Pogba's move from Juventus to Manchester United (£89m) in 2016 and Bellingham's move to Real Madrid for an initial £88.5m. This video can not be played Neymar plays for Santos for first time in 12 years Neymar and Mbappe's moves to PSG in 2017 make them the two most expensive players, let alone forwards, ever for a combined £365.7m. Atletico Madrid's £113m move for Benfica forward Felix in 2019 is third in all positions. Next among forwards is the £107m Barcelona paid Atletico for Griezmann, also in 2019, then Lukaku's £97.5m move from Inter Milan to Chelsea in 2021. The record for total career transfer fees is Santos forward Neymar's £326.2m, with Napoli's Lukaku close behind on £324.5m.
Where will Wirtz rank in list of most expensive signings?
TruthLens AI Suggested Headline:
"Florian Wirtz Set to Become Liverpool's Record Signing at £100 Million"
Bbc News
8.3
TruthLens AI Summary
Florian Wirtz is poised to become the 10th footballer to transfer for a nine-figure sum, as Liverpool has reached an agreement with Bayer Leverkusen for an initial fee of £100 million. This transfer not only marks Wirtz as Liverpool's club record signing but also positions him as the most expensive German footballer in history. The total cost of the deal could rise to £116 million when add-ons are included, making it the largest sale by a Bundesliga club to date. This transaction further solidifies Liverpool's reputation for high-profile signings, as they already hold the records for the world's second most expensive goalkeeper, Alisson Becker, and centre-back, Virgil van Dijk, both acquired for substantial fees. The current British record for an initial transfer fee stands at £107 million, set by Chelsea for Enzo Fernandez earlier this year, with Wirtz's transfer now making him part of a select group of players who have moved for over £100 million, which includes notable names like Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice.
The landscape of football transfers has seen a significant increase in the financial stakes, particularly in the Premier League, where several players have crossed the £100 million threshold. Wirtz's initial fee of £100 million positions him exactly halfway to the world record of £200 million set by Paris Saint-Germain for Neymar in 2017. The list of the most expensive transfers by position, league, and nationality reflects the growing trend of clubs willing to invest heavily in young talent. Notably, Bayern Munich has been responsible for Germany's largest transfers, with Wirtz's move now topping that list. As clubs continue to navigate the competitive nature of the sport, the implications of such high-profile signings extend beyond financial figures, influencing team dynamics, fan expectations, and the overall market for future transfers. The evolution of transfer fees showcases a shift in how clubs value talent in an increasingly commercialized football environment.
TruthLens AI Analysis
The article centers on the significant transfer of Florian Wirtz to Liverpool for a record fee, highlighting the implications of such a transaction in the football world. This development is noteworthy not only for its financial magnitude but also for its impact on player valuations and football club strategies.
Financial Significance of the Transfer
Wirtz's move marks him as the 10th footballer to transfer for a nine-figure sum, with Liverpool paying an initial £100 million, potentially rising to £116 million with add-ons. This places Wirtz in a notable position within the elite group of expensive signings, underlining the increasing financial power of clubs in the Premier League and their willingness to invest heavily in young talent. By emphasizing this record fee, the article reflects the broader trend of escalating transfer fees in football, which may influence market dynamics and player negotiations in the future.
Implications for Liverpool and the Bundesliga
Liverpool's acquisition of Wirtz as their record signing not only showcases their ambition to strengthen their squad but also highlights the Bundesliga's growing reputation for producing top-tier talent. The mention of the most expensive signings, including comparisons to other high-profile transfers, serves to contextualize Wirtz’s transfer within a larger narrative of football economics. This strategic investment could signal Liverpool's intent to compete at the highest levels, especially in European competitions.
Potential Manipulation and Public Perception
There could be an underlying motive to portray Wirtz's signing as a pivotal moment for Liverpool, framing the club as a leading force in football. By focusing on the financial aspects and historical rankings of signings, the article may inadvertently create a perception of urgency and excitement around the transfer market. This narrative could be designed to stimulate fan engagement and bolster club reputation, while also enhancing the perceived value of the player.
Market Impact and Broader Context
This transfer, like others, reflects the larger economic ecosystem of global football. It may impact stock prices of clubs involved, particularly Liverpool, as well as other teams in the Premier League and Bundesliga that might be influenced by the transfer market's dynamics. The financial implications extend beyond football, potentially affecting sponsorship deals and merchandise sales, as clubs seek to capitalize on high-profile signings.
Community Engagement and Target Audience
The article is likely aimed at football enthusiasts, analysts, and stakeholders within the sports community who are keen on understanding the financial and strategic implications of such transfers. By focusing on a young and talented player like Wirtz, the narrative seeks to engage a younger demographic, while also appealing to traditional football fans who value club history and player achievements.
Trustworthiness of the Information
The information presented appears to be well-researched, utilizing data from credible sources regarding transfer fees and historical comparisons. However, the emphasis on financial figures and rankings might overshadow other important aspects such as the player's on-field performance and potential impact at Liverpool. Overall, while reliable, the article's focus on monetary value may lead to a skewed perception of the player's significance.