Liverpool to do battle with Man City & Bayern Munich! Florian Wirtz visits Reds' training facilities as Bayer Leverkusen star weighs up transfer decision

BILDconfirmed on Wednesday that the Leverkusen playmaker met with Liverpool officials in England a day earlier. According to the report, Wirtz and his representatives sat down with the club’s hierarchy at their training centre in what appears to be a serious effort by the Reds to bring the midfielder to Anfield.

German outlet Kicker detailed the logistics of the visit, writing that Wirtz and his entourage flew privately into England on Tuesday. The itinerary included time only in Liverpool, and contrary to reports, the entourage did not travel to Manchester to visit Pep Guardiola and Man City officials. This development comes as something of a surprise, given that Bayern Munich were previously believed to be the frontrunners for Wirtz’s signature.

City have long been admirers of Wirtz and are expected to go all out in their pursuit. Guardiola, who views Wirtz as a potential heir to Kevin De Bruyne, is said to be directly involved in the negotiations and they are ready to break the current British transfer record having reached an agreement with Leverkusen. The proposal, rumoured to be in the region of £126 million ($168m), would dwarf Bayern Munich’s estimated £84m ($112m) bid. The substantial financial commitment underlines City’s determination to beat the competition for the young German international.

Despite the emergence of strong Premier League interest, Bayern Munich remain confident that Wirtz will honour a verbal agreement to join them. However, that belief may now be under threat, especially as Leverkusen appear more inclined to sell their star man to a foreign club rather than strengthening a domestic rival. That preference could significantly tilt the balance in favour of a Premier League move, making Liverpool and City the likelier destinations. But, The Athleticreports that the playmaker is yet to decide on his future and remains undecided whether he should leave Leverkusen at all.