Florian Wirtz will be aiming to make a more significant impact in the Premier League donning Liverpool red than his childhood idol did in Chelsea blue.

The reigning champions' record British signing was a fan of Marko Marin during his early footballing days, playing alongside older lads at Grun-Weiss Brauweiler, a junior club on the outskirts of Cologne where his father Hans-Joachim serves as both chairman and agent for his youngest son.

When Marin, born in Bosnia but an international for Germany, made the move to Stamford Bridge from Werder Bremen in the summer of 2012 in a deal worth close to $9 million, he was tipped for greatness.



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However, he only managed two Premier League starts for the London side and was loaned out to Sevilla, Fiorentina, Anderlecht and Trabzonspor before making a permanent move to Olympiakos three years later.

Marin, a highly skilled attacking midfielder, was at the peak of his career with Bremen when Bundesliga rivals FC Koln attempted to woo the then seven year old Wirtz in 2010.

Club officials planned to gift him a shirt bearing the name of his favourite player - they were taken aback when the young lad named Marin instead of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi or German star Mesut Ozil.

He still cherishes that jersey.

Liverpool has struck a deal with Bayer Leverkusen which will see the club fork out $136 million plus an additional $22 million in add-ons to bring Wirtz to Anfield, in an effort to bolster a squad that effortlessly clinched the title under Arne Slot in the Dutchman's debut season.

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Even against older boys and better teams, he always stood out."

However, Wirtz sparked controversy locally when he departed Koln after a decade, signing with Bayer Leverkusen in January 2020

However, it was on the pitch where he truly made headlines, debuting for Leverkusen in the Bundesliga against Werder Bremen at just 17 years and 15 days old, surpassing Kai Havertz as the club's youngest player.

His knack for the unexpected shone through both in his play and his revelations, such as when he surprised fans by confessing his preference for playing as Bayern Munich in FIFA matches.

When discussing his admiration for fellow professionals, Wirtz singled out Joao Felix, the Portuguese forward known for his high-profile struggles at Chelsea, saying, "Joao Felix is a similar type of player to me

Ignoring club medics' advice to take it easy, he showed up for rehab even on his days off, demonstrating a tenacity that would see him seamlessly integrate into the Anfield ethos.


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