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Manchester City star Ilkay Gundogan believes Florian Wirtz is not “world-class” yet, as the latter looks likely to join Liverpool in a record transfer fee.

Liverpool remain adamant in the talks that they will not pay the £126.5m asking price and are continuing discussions over the total amount of add-ons and how they would be structured.

Regardless of how close the deal is to completion, Liverpool will have to break the Premier League’s transfer record for the 22-year-old, who has his heart set on moving to Anfield after turning down approaches from Manchester City and Bayern Munich last month.

It is a mammoth sum, especially when considering that Wirtz’s Germany team-mate Gundogan stated he is still not a world-class player earlier this year.

Gundogan looks set to miss out on being club team-mates with Wirtz too, who would have filled the shoes of Kevin De Bruyne following the Belgian legend’s Etihad departure.

Gundogan knows Wirtz’s game well, having played with both him and Bayern’s talented Jamal Musiala for Germany for a number of years.

He has a high opinion of both, but thinks that if either want to be recognised as world-class, they will need to join a club capable of winning the Champions League – something Wirtz hopes to accomplish if he joins Liverpool.

"They're very close to world class.

Man City's Ilkay Gundogan believes Wirtz needs to play in a team challenging for the Champions League before being deemed world class.

"When you want to be on top and admired as the world's best one day, it's necessary to win the Champions League and Jamal has already played a few years in the Champions League but hasn't won it yet.

"For Flo, it is the first season with Champions League with Leverkusen.
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