Rayan Cherki of Lyon and Florian Wirtz of Bayer Leverkusen are Liverpool targets
Journalist David Ornstein has dropped the shock revelation that Liverpool boss Arne Slot has cut short his holiday to hold one-to-one talks with Lyon star Rayan Cherki, and how it might affect their club-record bid to sign Florian Wirtz has also been revealed.
The Premier League champions are in something of a hurry this summer to further strengthen a squad that already romped to the title this season by a hefty 10-point advantage. Having won the English crown at the first attempt, ambitious Liverpool boss Slot is leaving no stone unturned to try and create the sort of period of domination that has not been enjoyed on Merseyside since the 1980s.
To that end, a deal for Jeremie Frimpong was agreed in advance of the summer window officially opening on June 1, while a deal for Milos Kerkez is expected to go through next. Indeed, the Reds have now reached what has been described as a ‘full agreement’ to bring the Bournemouth star to Anfield.
However, it is the pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen superstar Wirtz that has really set pulses racing among supporters, with talks ongoing over a club-record swoop from the Bundesliga side.
While Liverpool have seen two official offers for the 22-year-old rejected, there remains plenty of optimism that a deal will soon be reached and Wirtz will soon be paraded as the new poster boy of Anfield.
If they are to get a deal over the line, however, they will likely need to do so without a sparingly-used Reds man moving the other way as part of a swap deal.
Such has been Slot’s desire to strengthen this summer, though, that Ornstein has now revealed that the Dutch boss recently cut short a family holiday to jet to the south of France for talks with an alternative target in Cherki.
However, as the journalist reveals, the German star remains absolutely Liverpool’s top priority this summer.
Speaking to The Athletic, Ornstein stated that Slot “left his holiday last week and flew to the south of France” to speak with Cherki in person.
That doesn’t mean, however, that Liverpool are definitely looking to sign the 21-year-old.
Ornstein added: “Liverpool are committed to Wirtz, though that doesn’t stop them performing due diligence on other options and preparing for all outcomes.
“The Cherki discussions were scheduled before the Wirtz chase accelerated and it is normal to proceed with such conversations while your priority signing is not complete and multiple plates are spinning.”
Florian Wirtz transfer: Pivotal week coming for Liverpool
Cherki, of course, is now on the verge of a move instead to Manchester City, who appear to have settled on the 5ft 8in star as the heir to Kevin De Bruyne in their midfield.
And with a fee of around $40m (£33.7m, $45.5m) enough to secure his services from Lyon, City will be spending significantly less than Liverpool will be for Wirtz, whose fee will certainly shatter the Liverpool club record and potentially yet the British transfer record, which stands at the £115m that Chelsea paid for Moises Caicedo two summers ago.
Ornstein goes on to explain that Liverpool now face a “pivotal week” as they look to reach a full and total agreement with Leverkusen for Wirtz.
As it stands, the two clubs are some €20m (£16m, $21.6m) apart in valuations; not a catastrophic difference but one which requires plenty of negotiating all the same.
The Reds’ second bid, understood to be worth a total package of €130m (£109.5m, $147.8m) was rejected on Monday, with the Bundesliga side holding out for their full €150m (£126.5m, $171m) asking price.
And while Liverpool are prepared to go higher and raise that bid further, sources have revealed to us how the issue currently surrounds both the Reds’ downpayment and how bonuses and add-ons will make up the full fee.
That situation was also backed up by Florian Plettenberg, who wrote on X: “Not much has changed: the second offer for Florian Wirtz was not accepted in its current form, which is why, as reported, there was still no agreement a few days ago.
“Negotiations are ongoing. Both teams want a quick agreement, Leverkusen have a different overall package in mind than the one currently being offered by Liverpool.”
Leverkusen’s managing director, Simon Rolfes, was giving nothing away when asked about the latest on Wirtz’s future earlier this week.
“It’s currently an open subject with Florian. There is concrete interest from Liverpool, but there’s no more to say right now. Florian is our player,” he told the German media.