Stalemate persists: Bayer snubs second Liverpool bid for Wirtz, eyeing pricier deal
Bayer has turned down a second proposal from Liverpool for the acquisition of Wirtz. - Bayer has turned down a second proposal from Liverpool for forward breakout star, Wirtz.
Looks like the battle for national powerhouse Florian Wirtz is heating up. According to a report from "Kicker", Bayer Leverkusen has apparently given Liverpool FC the cold shoulder once more on their second offer. The rumored offer stood at a fixed sum of 118 million euros, supplemented by 12 million euros in add-ons.
In the initial rounds, it was said that Liverpool tabled an offer of 100 million euros along with 15 million euros in extras. Going by "Kicker", the Bayer brass isn't just content with the 150 million euros that managing director Fernando Carro previously publicly declared as the minimum amount - they're gunning for more.
So how do they fill the current gap of at least 20 million euros? Two choices present themselves: more rounds of negotiation or roping in another player for this mega-deal.
As per the report, Leverkusen is toying with the idea of a Liverpool player, with offensive whizkid Harvey Elliott reportedly having a role in internal brainstorming sessions. The pay-TV channel Sky has also recently linked the 2024 champions with Elliott, as well as his teammate Jarell Quansah.
What makes Wirtz so costly?
The 22-year-old Wirtz appears to be all set to bid farewell to Leverkusen and hook up with Liverpool. He also declined the advances of the heavily interested German title champs FC Bayern Munich.
His contract with Bayer stretches until the end of June 2027, devoid of a release clause, making the transfer fees open for debate. Manchester City dropped out of the Wirtz chase due to the prohibitive overall package.
- Florian Wirtz
- Leverkusen
- Liverpool
- Bayer 04 Leverkusen
- FC Liverpool
- Harvey Elliott
- Jarell Quansah
Takeaways:
- Financial aspects seem to be the primary reason behind Bayer Leverkusen's reluctance to accept Liverpool FC's second offer for Wirtz, with the German club reportedly looking to secure a fee closer to €150 million.
- Leverkusen might be employing a strategy to maximize the transfer fee by extending negotiations, considering other bids, or creating competition to drive up the price.
- Additional players, like Jarell Quansah, are being considered for the transfer deal to cut Liverpool's financial load.
The Commission has not yet received any information on the potential transfer of Florian Wirtz from Bayer 04 Leverkusen to FC Liverpool, as the German club is pursuing a comparatively higher fee. Amidst the negotiation stalemate, Liverpool's offensive whizkid Harvey Elliott is rumored to be a possible exchange for Wirtz, with Jarell Quansah also being mentioned.
