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As Liverpool begin their summer planning to retain their Premier League title next season, the focus is clear. 

Arne Slot hopes to strengthen smartly, evolve tactically and stay one step ahead of any competition. 

The Reds have already secured the services of Jeremie Frimpong, replacing the outgoing Trent Alexander-Arnold, but the plan is to not stop there. 

Reliable football transfer journalist, Fabrizio Romano, confirmed on Tuesday evening that they had reached verbal agreement with Bayer Leverkusen over a club and Premier League record-fee for the transfer of Florian Wirtz. 

While finer details are still to be finalised, the breakthrough marks a significant step forward in one of the most high-profile moves of the summer. 

The German international is not only one of Europe’s most complete young playmakers, but he is also positioned to thrive in the Premier League, and we will be offering five reasons why Wirtz will succeed the high expectations set of himself. 

ALREADY A PRESSING MACHINE 

When people talk about Florian Wirtz, they tend to highlight his dribbling, vision or flair, but what often gets overlooked is his discipline and work rate off the ball. 

At Bayer Leverkusen, he played in a highly organised pressing structure under Xabi Alonso and excelled. 

Not just sprinting after loose balls, but pressing with intelligence, triggering traps and closing angles. 

This makes Wirtz the dream player for Arne Slot. 

The Dutchman demands structured intensity with pressing that’s well-timed and backed by shape. 

Wirtz already understands how to press as part of a unit and not in isolation and fits the model of not just possession, for possession’s sake. 

Liverpool are set to add a creative player who defends like a midfielder, not a luxury but a necessity in modern football. 

A GENERATIONAL TALENT 

Liverpool fans haven’t truly had a player of Florian Wirtz’s quality, since Philippe Coutinho before departing for Barcelona in 2018. 

Philippe Coutinho spearheaded Liverpool’s early years under Jürgen Klopp.

David Rawcliffe/Propaganda.

While the team evolved under Jürgen Klopp without the Brazilian, that central spark being someone who can conjure chances in tight areas, has been sorely missed, especially against defensive low blocks. 

Florian Wirtz will bring that back but with added maturity and balance.

Like Coutinho once did, he glides across the pitch with a low centre of gravity and cuts through lines with disguised passes and quick bursts of skill. 

At twenty-two, Wirtz already sees the game like a seasoned pro. 

He doesn’t overplay but waits for spaces to develop, then strikes with precision. 

If Philippe Coutinho was a soloist, then Florian Wirtz is a conductor, orchestrating the game with control, clarity and a level of tactical awareness far beyond his years. 

BIG-GAME MENTALITYStuart Franklin/Getty Images.

What’s most impressive about Wirtz’s rise is that it hasn’t just happened in highlight reels or against weaker opposition. 

From title-defining Bundesliga matches to European knockout ties, the German has been the heartbeat of Bayer Leverkusen since his breakthrough into the first team. 

He doesn’t shrink under the spotlight. 

He demands the ball, takes responsibility and continues to produce, and when wearing the Liverpool shirt, that temperament will be crucial. 

Anfield has the potential of elevating a player, but the high expectation can also expose them, but Wirtz has already shown that he can grow under pressure. 

Liverpool are not looking for their next project player, but those who are already deemed leaders in elite environments. 

Florian Wirtz ticks that box completely. 

BUILT FOR THE PREMIER LEAGUE 

Adapting to the Premier League is a challenge that has tested even the most talented stars, but Wirtz looks exceptionally well-equipped to handle it from day one. 

The German’s balance, body control and decision making, allow him to ride challenges and operate in traffic. 

His game is built on efficiency and intelligence, both traits that translate to English football immediately. 

Wirtz isn’t reliant on open space or slow-build up, he excels in tight games, fast transitions and systems that demand constant positional awareness. 

His versatility only adds to the value. 

The ability to play as a number ten, advanced eight or drift wide, gives Arne Slot flexibility to his management, without needing major tactical reshuffles. 

AN ELITE CEILING 

Here’s the most frightening part. 

Florian Wirtz isn’t finished, in fact he is only getting started. 

What he has achieved at Bayer Leverkusen would be remarkable for any player let alone one still in his early twenties. 

But Liverpool offers a higher level. 

Playing alongside world-class players, in front of the Kop and under the kind of scrutiny that sharpens the best, Wirtz has the foundation to grow into truly an elite figure in world football. 

He is not just someone who can slot into Liverpool’s current system, but someone who can elevate it and with the right platform, there’s every reason to believe his peak years could redefine what the Reds’ midfield looks like for the next decade. 

Despite the Premier League’s record fee dominating headlines, Florian Wirtz is far from a gamble. 

The German’s arrival speaks to the club’s ambition in a new era and signing a player of Wirtz’s calibre, signals every intent that Liverpool intend not just to defend their league title, but to evolve while doing so. 

This is the epitome of the kind of forward-thinking recruitment that has underpinned Liverpool’s recent success, and long may it continue if they are to remain at the summit.

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