Liverpool see mammoth €130m Florian Wirtz bid REJECTED as Bayer Leverkusen play transfer hardball

The newly-crowned Premier League champions are ready to smash their transfer record in order to bring highly-rated Germany international Wirtz on board. The 22-year-old playmaker is said to favour a summer switch to Anfield - having also been linked with Bayern Munich and Manchester City.

Having been given encouragement in their pursuit of a much sought-after talent, Liverpool have put two official bids on the table. Both of those have been knocked back, with Leverkusen making it clear that they will not bow to pressure.

An update from Sky Deutschland claims: “Not much has changed: the second offer for Florian Wirtz was not accepted in its current form, which is why, as reported, there was still no agreement a few days ago.

“Negotiations are ongoing. Both teams want a quick agreement, Leverkusen have a different overall package in mind than the one currently being offered by Liverpool.”

According to Sport BILD, Leverkusen are demanding €150m (£127m/$171m) from any deal involving Wirtz. They have no need to sanction a sale as their talisman is tied to a contract through to 2027.

The expectation is that a compromise will be reached at some stage that allows Wirtz to take on a new challenge in England. Liverpool are, however, going to have to dig a little deeper in order to get a historic transfer over the line.