Of all the signings made by Premier League clubs this summer, Florian Wirtz's upcoming arrival at Anfield has the most different feel. Liverpool are set to own one of Europe's most promising young stars.
Of course, that is reflected through transfer fees. These are unusual numbers for an unusual player. However, that is the advantage of transferring from a strong position like Liverpool.
Coach Arne Slot has found a replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold by recruiting Wirtz's teammate at Bayer Leverkusen, Jeremie Frimpong. And Liverpool are expected to make many changes in attack.
But with Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah staying, this is a relatively stable squad. Therefore, the reigning Premier League champions are adjusting instead of renovating. That is a luxury that some of their opponents, no matter how rich, cannot have.
Of course, Rayan Cherki could be an interesting signing for Manchester City this summer. But before that, the Frenchman had been invited to a number of Premier League clubs and came with risks.
" majestic or tragic" is the way a Premier League scout looks at Cherki's future prospects at the Etihad. The difficulty in the transfer market is causing many clubs to bet on risky gamblers.
Hopefully Cherki will succeed, in that case, allocating the budget to solve other problems in Pep Guardiola's squad could be a smart decision. Instead of Wirtz, Man City recruited Rayan Ait Nouri and Tijjani Reijnders, at a cheaper cost.
But they came with the task of improving the already strong squad and Guardiola rarely had to be in a position of inferiority. Perhaps the Citizens' coach has regretted not renewing everything earlier, predicting the problems before they appeared.
"In the summer, the club considered that. And I said, 'no, I don't want to sign a contract. I have great confidence in the current players."
I think we can repeat our success, but after the injuries we have suffered, perhaps we should sign new players" - Guardiola admitted.
The message that signing Wirtz sent was that Liverpool did not want to make the same mistake. They understand that the German international will make the difference. This is the squad building lesson that Michael Edwards, the club's director of football, has accumulated.
Liverpool may have been criticized for spending too much on Wirtz, but in fact, they recruited him because they had prepared for this contract more than a year ago. The contract with Wirtz was a gamble, but was carefully calculated and considered by The Kop.
At the age of 22, with nearly 200 appearances for Leverkusen and 31 caps for Germany, Wirtz's achievements are undeniable. This is Liverpool's most famous contract, reminiscent of Alisson Becker and Van Dijk. They need to prepare best for the big challenges ahead.
Replacing Van Dijk and Salah is difficult, but it will eventually happen. But Wirtz has changed the situation. Liverpool will be one of the brightest candidates for next season's Champions League title.
They will also start the new season as a strong candidate to defend their Premier League title. Liverpool's opponents will of course also bring in quality contracts, but with Wirtz, The Kop has the right to be confident.
Wirtz's appearance at Anfield was not just a simple blockbuster deal. It was also Liverpool's strongest statement about their ambition to defend their Premier League title and seek glory in the Champions League.
