Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has given his verdict about the club’s £216m transfer spend and British-record signing Florian Wirtz
Jürgen Klopp has weighed in on Liverpool’s record-breaking deal for Florian Wirtz, admitting the £100m fee—potentially rising to £116m with add-ons—is “insane” by any standard. But the former Liverpool manager, who famously once said he’d walk away from football if players started costing that much, made it clear that the world has changed—and so has football’s market reality.
“There’s no question about it, it’s an insane sum,” Klopp told Welt am Sonntag. “But we all agree that we’re talking about a great player here.”
Wirtz’s signing marks a bold statement from the Reds, as they beat both Bayern Munich and Manchester City to land one of Europe’s most sought-after attacking midfielders. The move is part of a massive £216m summer outlay that has already seen five players arrive at Anfield, with over two months still left in the transfer window.
Klopp, who returned to Merseyside to witness Arne Slot’s Liverpool lift the Premier League trophy last month, appears to be closely watching his former side’s evolution. Though no longer in the dugout, he’s clearly impressed by the ambition—and the man leading the charge.
He acknowledged that when he first joined Liverpool in 2015, transfers were more modest. His early signings—Sadio Mané, Gini Wijnaldum, Joel Matip—formed the backbone of a rebuild that peaked with Premier League and Champions League triumphs. Even his big-money buys, like Virgil van Dijk (£75m) and Alisson Becker (£68m), were once considered extravagant, yet are now dwarfed by deals like Wirtz’s.
“I know I once said that I’m out if we pay €100m for a player. But the world is changing,” Klopp admitted. “If you want to play at the top level, you can’t train all your players yourself. You have to look elsewhere.”
Still, Klopp believes Wirtz has the temperament and talent to justify the fee. At just 21, the German international has already battled back from a serious injury and returned even stronger, playing a key role in Bayer Leverkusen’s unbeaten Bundesliga title win.
“Florian is an exceptionally good player who suffered a serious injury at a young age but then picked up where he left off. Respect.”
And while Klopp isn’t sure exactly where Slot will deploy Wirtz in Liverpool’s system, he’s confident his compatriot can make a lasting impact.
“He’s an outstanding player who can give any club something great. Whether he’ll make the reigning English champions even better remains to be seen.”
Wirtz will enter a squad brimming with competition, creativity, and ambition. But if there’s one thing Klopp seems sure of—it’s that the former Leverkusen star won’t be overawed by the price tag, the spotlight, or the challenge.