Liverpool agreed a then club record transfer of £116 million to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, and the details of his add-ons have been disclosed.
Wirtz completed his move to Liverpool in June for an initial £100 million plus £16 million in add-ons, with the German signing a contract until 2030.
The fee was a new transfer record for Liverpool and would have broken the British record if all the bonuses were paid to Leverkusen, that was until Alexander Isak signed for £125 million.
Nevertheless, it is still the second-highest figure the club have paid for a player, but the add-ons can only be triggered by Liverpool winning one of two major trophies.
As per the Times‘ Paul Joyce, the add-ons of up to £16 million will only be triggered should the club win either the Premier League or Champions League four times.
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It is a small price to pay for Liverpool in the bigger picture, as the prize money, broadcast revenue and other associated income from that success will more than pay for the add-ons.
While the overall figure for Wirtz is eye-watering, Liverpool will make five equal payments to Leverkusen to spread the financial commitment and keep the balance sheets ticking over.
They have a similar payment plan for Isak, though his fee will be spread across four seasons. It means this summer Liverpool will have only paid £51.25 million for the duo.
Wirtz has started each of Liverpool’s three Premier League games and has shown he still needs to adapt to English football, though the first three opponents were among the most physical.
It has been somewhat of a slow burn, but Joyce states that “the belief that he possesses in his ability to unlock opposing defences remains unwavering.”
Burnley will present another new challenge on Sunday, a match that will see the club debut their new third kit.