How Liverpool can afford blockbuster £116m Florian Wirtz transfer despite PSR constraints - explained

Liverpool will make Wirtz not just the most expensive player in their own history when his proposed arrival from Bayer Leverkusen becomes official, but in the wider landscape of British football history if all add-ons are triggered in an overall £116 million ($157m) package. Of that, £100m is guaranteed to Leverkusen. But the unprecedented outlay isn't actually that much of a burden to bear for the Premier League champions.

Liverpool earned more than £600m ($814m) for the first time in 2023-24, although it came with a sizeable £57.1m ($77.5m) loss. But The Athletic notes that the Reds will benefit from an estimated £181.5m ($246m) from winning the Premier League title, as well as a first full season with a fully open Anfield Road Stand that boosted matchday revenues, both of which are expected to help overall revenue for 2024-25 surpasss £700m ($950m).

2025-26 marks the start of a new TV broadcast contract worth 17% more than the last, as well as a potentially more lucrative kit deal with adidas than they had with Nike. A return to profitability is expected, and with the Wirtz cost spread over five years to 2030, signing the German will only add around £34m - including wages - to the annual costs. Liverpool can handle that level of expense without the risk of contravening PSR.

That is even before selling more players, which could still happen. Caoimhin Kelleher has already gone, while there ended up being a fee for Trent Alexander-Arnold, even though he'd run down his contract, but offloading Darwin Nunez makes sense just because he is clearly surplus to sporting requirements.

Liverpool were willing to spend a similar amount on Moises Caicedo two summers ago, agreeing a £111m package with Brighton for the midfielder. Chelsea gazumped them on that occasion, but it was evidence that the Reds are willing to pay big money for someone they consider the right player.

Following the end of FIFA's early mini-transfer window to allow teams to recruit in time for the Club World Cup, the proper summer window will open once more on June 16. It means Liverpool's official Wirtz announcement could now be just a few days away.