WIRTZ TIMES COULD BE THE BEST

WITH Liverpool having now held talks with Florian Wirtz and successfully turned his head, four factors have emerged from his discussions with the club that appear to have proved pivotal.

- By TOM SUNDERLAND

The Reds are now clear frontrunners to sign the Bayer Leverkusen star, provided Liverpool can still strike a deal with his club, who are asking for up to £126million.

Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich were heavily interested in signing the German from their Bundesliga rivals, but manager Vincent Kompany and his champions have reportedly been turned down by Wirtz.

Kompany’s former club, Manchester City, have also been in the hunt but pulled out of the race themselves after it was claimed they baulked at the finances required to seal a deal.

So it’s just as well Wirtz is invested in Arne Slot’s project, having reportedly sat down with Liverpool in recent days.

The Times reported on the outcome of those discussions with Slot in particular, which is believed to have left the young talent convinced his continued development is best served at Anfield.