My favorite player will soon make $100m switch and Liverpool should beat Man City to ultimate move

While it is admittedly hard to find upgrades in this Liverpool team — which is why Arne Slot and Richard Hughes were not too busy in terms of incomings during their first summer at the helm — there is one deal next summer that the Reds should be going all out for.

Federico Chiesa arrived and Giorgi Mamardashvili will come in next year but there were areas of the team that could have done with one more body. The policy, though, appears to be that Liverpool will only sign players who it is sure will make a substantial difference. If those are not available, it will not make any move that is likely only to offer a marginal improvement.

In 2025, however, a true game-changer is likely to be on the market. Every top club in the world will be looking to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen — and Liverpool should be right in the mix for a playmaker who is fast becoming my favorite player.

Mainz fans turn on Jurgen Klopp as blunt message unveiled to Liverpool legend
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti drops Trent Alexander-Arnold and Liverpool transfer hint

According to Sky Germany, Manchester City will go all out for Wirtz next summer if Kevin De Bruyne leaves. Bayern Munich is also keen on the player, but Bayer Leverkusen would much rather sell him abroad.

Wirtz scored 18 goals last season and assisted another 20 times as Xabi Alonso's side won a double; the exact kind of numbers that Liverpool should be looking for from its most advanced midfield player. Combining Philippe Coutinho-like silkiness — the exact kind of quick-footed dribbling that is magical to watch — with ruthless numbers in the final third, Wirtz is one of the best number 10s in the world already — and he has not long turned 21.

Defensa Central reported last month that Liverpool would be prepared to go "all out" to sign Wirtz and BILD's Christian Falk, writing for Caught Offside, has suggested the decision has already been made for the player to leave Leverkusen after this campaign. Liverpool and Manchester City, it is claimed, would be among those chasing his services and it is no surprise: he is, quite simply, a magical player to watch.

Like with Jude Bellingham and Aurelien Tchouameni, Wirtz is already world-class but still has the best years of his career ahead of him. This time, though, Liverpool should have a chance of sealing a deal.

Real Madrid would be another obvious destination for Wirtz, as ever, but there is no obvious place for him in the stacked roster that Carlo Ancelotti can call upon. Another number 10 would be near-impossible to fit into the starting XI regularly because of the quality of the likes of Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and the rest.

Bayern Munich is another option but that wouldn't seem like much of a step up for Wirtz. Vincent Kompany has made a good start but Bayer Leverkusen has already beaten the Bavarians to the Bundesliga title; a move outside of Germany would further his career more.

With Barcelona and Serie A clubs' finances restricted and PSG and Ligue 1 having a limited level of appeal, it would seem likely that Wirtz's next step — like so many of the best players in the world these days — is either Real Madrid or the Premier League. If it is, he would fit in perfectly at Liverpool and the Reds should be doing everything in their power to make it happen.

To bridge the gap to Manchester City and Arsenal, it won't take much. But while signing better players than the ones Liverpool already have will continue to be a difficult task, Wirtz is an obvious target who would fit the bill. He would come with a big price tag of at least $100m (£75m/€90m), but not without reason — and Liverpool has shown in the past that it is willing to spend big when the right profile is up for grabs.