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Liverpool have agreed a fee to sign Florian Wirtz(Image: Marvin Ibo Guengoer - GES Sportfoto, Getty Images)

When Florian Wirtz hopped on a private jet and landed in Blackpool back in May the assumption was that he was going to meet Pep Guardiola and Manchester City.

What wasn’t known at the time was that Liverpool were serious contenders for his signature.

Liverpool would know then that they were really in with a chance of landing one of the most coveted signings in world football.

They still had to battle with Premier League rivals City as well as Bayern, and the Reds believed for a long time that the Germany attacking midfielder would be heading to the Bundesliga champions.

It is a route well travelled - the player of the Bundesliga who doesn’t already play for Bayern being poached by Germany’s grandest giant.

READ MORE:Liverpool transfer spending to smash £220m barrier with moves after Florian WirtzREAD MORE:Florian Wirtz transfer: When £116m star should make Liverpool debut after agreeing deal

Bayer Leverkusen had some small hope of retaining the 22-year-old and tying him down to a new contract, with a lower release clause to appease him.

Those arguments will go on but City have gone on to spend the money more spread out on Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Marcus Bettinelli and Rayan Cherki.

Liverpool managed to haggle with Bayer Leverkusen to bring the transfer fee for Florian Wirtz down(Image: Getty Images)

The latter was also a target for Liverpool and was sounded out as Liverpool lined up alternatives.

Wirtz made his mind up and told the German champions and his club that he wanted to move to Merseyside.

Liverpool had plenty of champagne on ice ahead of the Premier League trophy lift that weekend.

They would have been forgiven for popping a few bottles of the bubbly early given the coup.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes sold a vision to Wirtz not only about where he would fit in the team but also in where he can take this team, which has just won the Premier League title but is hungry for more next season and beyond.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been backed in the transfer market(Image: Carl Recine, Getty Images)

That, along with the facilities on offer - Wirtz trained at the AXA following Leverkusen's defeat by the Reds last season in the Champions League - convinced the German that Merseyside was the place for him.
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