‘I am told’ – Romano drops intriguing claim on Liverpool target; Klopp’s supposedly ‘a big fan’
Fabrizio Romano has said that ‘Liverpool is one to watch’ in relation to the prospective next destination of Florian Wirtz.
The Bayer Leverkusen midfielder is also of interest to LaLiga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid, according to the Italian, who added that Jurgen Klopp is ‘said to be a big fan’ of the 19-year-old.
However, the journalist has tempered the probability of the teenager leaving the Bundesliga club during the summer.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano said: “Florian Wirtz, what I can tell you is Barcelona are following the player, for sure. Also Real Madrid.
“But I am told also English clubs are keeping an eye on Wirtz, especially the situation of Liverpool is one to watch. Liverpool are monitoring the player and I am told that Jurgen Klopp is understood to be a big fan of Florian Wirtz.
“I say monitoring and not negotiating, because the expectation around Wirtz and Bayer Leverkusen is for the player to stay one more year and maybe move in 2024.”
The 19-year-old is by no means a brand-new entry to the Liverpool rumour mill, with ex-Germany international Karl-Heinz Korbel saying back in January 2022 that the teenager would be ‘a good fit’ at Anfield (as per Sport.de).
The Reds might be able to put their connections with Wirtz’s current manager Xabi Alonso to good use, although the 41-year-old also has ties to another suitor in Real Madrid.
The attacking midfielder has already played 91 times for Leverkusen’s first team despite his tender age (Transfermarkt), and he’d surely be a centurion by now had it not been for a cruciate ligament injury which sidelined him for the majority of 2022.
He could be exactly the kind of dynamic presence to reinvigorate Liverpool’s midfield, with 49 goal contributions already for his club (Transfermarkt), while he ranks among the top 1% of players in his position for assists among Europe’s five main leagues in the past year (as per FBref).
Wirtz is clearly a man in demand judging by Romano’s update, and with him likely to remain in Germany for at least another year, he could be bumped down the list of priorities at Anfield as Klopp and FSG focus instead on targets who’d be more attainable for this summer.
Nonetheless, he could be someone worth keeping tabs on in the longer-term as a potential contributor to a likely midfield overhaul on Merseyside.
You can see the journalist’s update on Wirtz below from 2:15 (via Fabrizio Romano on YouTube):
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