Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version or go back to LFC Live.net

Image Credits: Getty Images

FC Köln president Dr.

Werner Wolf joins a growing list of football figures to pretty much confirm that Florian Wirtz is Anfield bound.

The player himself has dropped hints on Instagram, while DFB president Rudi Völler claimed this past week that “it’s no secret” that he’d like to go to Liverpool.

But Liverpool’s pursuit of the Bayer Leverkusen has encountered significant delays with Fabrizio Romano revealing that bonus structures and the general structure of the deal is holding up talks.

The Reds have reportedly agreed personal terms with the 22-year-old German international on a five-year contract.

The German will be among the highest earners at the club, just behind Mohamed Salah at between 20-22 million euros per year.

It’s clear Bayer Leverkusen aim to extract maximum value for their 22-year-old talisman, and rightfully so as he is a generational talent.

A significant complicating factor in the transfer involves FIFA’s solidarity contribution mechanism, which mandates that 5% of any international transfer fee be distributed to clubs involved in a player’s development between ages 12 and 23.

FC Köln, Wirtz’s former club, stands to benefit substantially from this rule due to the midfielder’s nine-year tenure at the club before his 2020 move to Leverkusen.

Under FIFA regulations, Köln is entitled to receive approximately €3.2 million based on the duration of Wirtz’s time at the club.

And now Wolf has confirmed that it is Liverpool who will pay this fee and they are willing to fight for as big of a payday as possible:

“Of course, we are looking into it.

We know what we are entitled to and will fight for it,” Wolf said on Radio Cologne (via BILD)

“We’re looking at this with both eyes.

The higher the sum Liverpool is willing to pay, the better for us,” he explained.

It definitely could be a one factor that is slowing the progress of the deal.

There have been reports from Germany that Köln are currently trying to get up to €5.7m for the Wirtz deal to Anfield.

Want to get the latest Liverpool news direct to your phone