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Florian Wirtz's potential record-breaking move to Liverpool looms on the horizon, yet it might face delays due to legal complexities as FC Koln chief Werner Wolf pledged to utilise every legal avenue to claim what they believe they are owed amid talks of the 22-year-old's transfer.

The midfielder may soon become the centre of a club and possibly British transfer milestone, with his current team Bayer Leverkusen already having turned down a staggering £109m bid, now holding out for an eye-watering £126m.

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If achieved, this sum would represent a massive gain compared to the paltry €300k (£252k) that BILD alleges Leverkusen paid Koln in a contentious January 2020 deal.

Leverkusen, Koln, and Borussia Monchengladbach, the mainstays of Germany's football scene, supposedly abide by a 'gentleman's agreement' forged in 2001 to prevent poaching each other's fledgeling stars - a pact that was strained when Leverkusen acquired Wirtz, stirring considerable local uproar.

Amidst these tensions, Wirtz confessed to Sports Illustrated, "When I moved from Cologne to Leverkusen, I did not think for a single second about my salary, but only about what is best for my career."

The transfer tussle over Leverkusen's Wirtz is set to escalate into a 'million-dollar dispute', with Liverpool's potential deal triggering a cash windfall battle.

"Of course, we are looking into it.

We know what we are entitled to and will fight for it," declared Koln's president Wolf on Radio Cologne.

The higher the sum Liverpool is willing to pay, the better for us."

Under FIFA rules, clubs that have played a part in a player's development from ages 12 to 23 are due a slice of the transfer fee, specifically five per cent as 'training compensation'.

Koln is gearing up for a showdown over their share of the pie, given that Wirtz was on their books from age seven until he turned 16, spending crucial developmental years at the club.

Should Leverkusen rake in a whopping £126m from Liverpool, the disputed amount could hit £6.3m, a significant sum for the Bundesliga outfit.

Koln is preparing to engage with the FIFA Clearing House to ensure they receive the maximum payout following Wirtz's move to Anfield.

The debate centres on the notion that the attacking midfielder's 'training' concluded well before the age of 23, as evidenced by his full debut for Leverkusen shortly after turning 17 and his German national team bow at 18 years and four months.