Even Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso was surprised. After seeing Florian Wirtz "dance" past SC Freiburg defenders in October 2023 to give Leverkusen a valuable advantage on the way to the Bundesliga championship, Alonso was in trouble on the touchline.
That is an recognition of Wirtz's talent. Even Freiburg manager Christian Streich admitted: "You can't defend against Florian Wirtz".
That assessment will be verified more closely than ever next season after Wirtz moved to Liverpool for £100 million ( plus £16 million in add-ons) from Leverkusen. The 22-year-old playmaker has become Arne Slot's second signing this summer. Previously, Jeremie Frimpong - another Leverkusen player - also joined Anfield for £30 million.
Liverpool have now broken their own transfer record (75 million pounds to sign Virgil van Dijk from Southampton in January 2018). However, they have yet to break Chelsea's transfer record when The Blues signed Enzo Fernandez for £106.8 million.
In theory, Wirtz is considered the most exciting contract this summer. After a rapid rise at Leverkusen, the German player has been considered one of the most extraordinary talents in Europe. And when he joins the reigning Premier League champions, he will have a great foundation to demonstrate his ability.
This is also a move that surprised many, with the reigning Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich and La Liga giants Real Madrid (after they appointed Xabi Alonso) considered Wirtz's most likely destinations. However, a source told ESPN that Slot's vision was an attractive factor in the player's decision to move to Merseyside.
Wirtz has been identified as the one who took the Dutch captain's Liverpool project to new heights.
As the youngest child in a family of 10 siblings, it is not surprising that family is always Wirtz's priority. The midfielder grew up in the rural town of pulheim, just outside Cologne, and began his youth career with local club SV Grün-Weiß Brauweiler.
"Wirtz and the ball are always one. You can see it from the start when I play with Wirtz or when we do things together with the ball" - Juliane, Wirtz's sister, also a professional footballer of Werder Bremen, shared on the Bundesliga's official website in 2023.
"Even the way Wirtz looks at the ball. In fact, Wirtz has a lot of talent, but Wirtz has also tried his best in terms of training. From a very young age, you can see that this guy will have something to do with football" - Juliane added.
Wirtz's talent and dynamism soon helped him move to FC Cologne, where he spent more than a decade in the club's academy before joining Leverkusen in 2020. During his time at BayArena, the midfielder has established himself as one of the brightest stars in the Bundesliga, scoring 57 goals and providing 65 assists in 197 appearances for the club.
After recovering from an ACL injury in 2022, Wirtz has become a mainstay of Leverkusen under Alonso. He shined when the club won the Bundesliga with an unbeaten record in the 2023-2024 season. They also won the DFB-Pokal and reached the UEFA Europa League final.
Wirtz has also become a key factor in coach Julian Nagelsmann's German national team squad. He previously made his national team debut under Joachim Low in September 2021. Wirtz has won 29 national team caps and is increasingly showing great influence.
"Florian Wirtz is a great asset with his carefree personality. He is an excellent player, technical player, very creative, good at finishing, running fast and strong. He is a perfect model" - Hansi Flick, former Germany coach, said about his former student.
