Liverpool newcomer Florian Wirtz motivated to build on Leverkusen achievements

Liverpool’s record signing Florian Wirtz insists he has not moved to Anfield to “have fun” but believes it is the right place for him to improve and be successful.

The Premier League champions have paid Bayer Leverkusen £100million for the 22-year-old Germany international but that fee could potentially become a British record as there are £16m of add-ons included.

If achieved that would surpass the existing mark of £115m which Chelsea paid for Moises Caicedo in 2023 and it is understood Liverpool will be happy to pay these “aspirational bonuses” as it will mean they have enjoyed considerable success at elite level.

And that is what Wirtz, one of Europe’s hottest properties, is determined to contribute to.

“I’m not coming (to) have fun here, I want also to achieve something and give the fans what they deserve,” he told the club’s website.

“Of course I want to keep going at this performance. So yeah, that sure gives motivation to achieve more.

“I would like to win everything every year. First of all, we have to do our work, I have to make my work. In the end, we want to be successful.

“Last season they won the Premier League, so my goal is for sure to win it again and also to go further in the Champions League. I’m really ambitious.”

Wirtz has signed a five-year deal and at 22 has his best years ahead of him.

He wants to continue the progress which saw him score 57 goals and contribute 64 assists in 197 appearances for Leverkusen.

“This was also a big point for me: that I will improve my own personal level and physical levels because I think everyone knows that in Liverpool the players are machines – really strong and really physical,” he added.

“But I see this also as an opportunity for me to get better in this point. So yeah, I just thought this was the right place for me.”

Liverpool saw off competition from Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid to secure Wirtz.

Leverkusen had valued him at £126m but a compromise was reached last week, although the up-front fee easily outstrips the £85m deal Liverpool agreed with Benfica in 2022 for Darwin Nunez, who is expected to leave this summer.

“I’m really excited to have a new adventure in front of me. This was also a big point of my thoughts: that I want to have something completely new, to go out of the Bundesliga and to join the Premier League,” he added.

Wirtz is Liverpool’s second signing of the summer, following close friend and Leverkusen team-mate Jeremie Frimpong to Anfield, and with the Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvilli joining next month after a deal was agreed a year ago spending has already reached £175m.

That is set to be pushed beyond the £200m mark with a £40m fee agreed for Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez.

It is their biggest summer window since 2018 when Naby Keita, Fabinho, Xherdan Shaqiri and Alisson Becker were recruited for around £170m, with Virgil van Dijk having signed for £75m the previous January.

Owners Fenway Sports Group have, despite their ‘Moneyball’ reputation, not been afraid to splash out big fees for transformative players like Van Dijk and Alisson – and Wirtz falls into that category.

The club have already recouped around £26m with the departures of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Caoimhin Kelleher with further funds expected to be generated from the likes of Nunez, Harvey Elliott, Federico Chiesa and potentially Andy Robertson, who is a target for Atletico Madrid.