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Liverpool club-record signing Florian Wirtz(Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Liverpool's first pre-season fixture of summer 2025 takes place on Sunday with a visit to Preston North End at Deepdale.

It offers a chance for six new signings to make their unofficial debuts, Florian Wirtz included, following his record-breaking £116m transfer from Bayer Leverkusen.

The wait to see highly rated midfielder Wirtz play in a Liverpool shirt has been a patient one.



From the time it first emerged that the 22-year-old rejected rival interest in favour of Anfield to his move being finalised on June 20, around a month had passed, and again, almost another month has passed since then.

The German international's reputation precedes him and costing £100m up front - a club-record sum - with £16m in add-ons potentially making him Britain's record signing in future, fans are eager to see what kind of impact on the Premier League champions.

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Wirtz officially reported for pre-season training with his new club on Tuesday, July 8, along with the rest of the Reds squad.

Slot and his coaching staff have since been preparing the players for their first match at Preston on Sunday.

Therefore, everything suggests Wirtz is in line to make his first appearance, albeit it will only be confirmed on the day whether he will be part of the starting XI or on the bench.

In previous pre-seasons Liverpool have shown a tendency to field two different teams between the first and second halves of matches early in the summer.

Slot has also added a handful of goalkeepers to his squad - Giorgi Mamardashvili, Armin Pecsi and Freddie Woodman - so alongside Alisson it is to be decided who will emerge in this first friendly.

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If any do not turn out at Preston they may have the chance to in later friendlies against AC Milan, Yokohama FM and Athletic Bilbao.

Liverpool's season then begins on Sunday, August 10, with the Community Shield at Wembley Stadium against Crystal Palace.

This is the date Wirtz and the other new signings can first make their official debuts.

Five days later, on Friday, August 15, the Premier League title defence officially gets underway with Bournemouth coming to Anfield.