It’s not long until silly season begins, with that weird hinterland between the end of the 2024/25 campaign and the opening of the summer transfer window already affecting Liverpool.
Only, the recent rumours that Florian Wirtz is on Anfield’s radar as Arne Slot works with sporting director Richard Hughes to determine the best strategy to strengthen his title-winning side this summer.
Once upon a time, such a signing would have indeed felt absurd for the Reds, but this is a new era on Merseyside and it’s one to keep an eye on, to be sure.
How much Wirtz may cost Liverpool
Liverpool fans have been getting themselves acquainted with Wirtz this week. The Bayer Leverkusen star is being anticipated to leave this summer, and, yes, he’s on FSG’s watchlist.
The problem, naturally, is that Manchester City are also keen on signing the German playmaker up, with The Athletic even revealing on Wednesday that the Premier League behemoths have held talks with Wirtz’s representatives
Bayern Munich are still in the driving seat, but this is proving to be an open race, one which could end with the 22-year-old at any of the destinations.
Wirtz, who has plundered 31 goal contributions this year after winning last year’s Bundesliga Player of the Season as an invincible champion, would likely cost Liverpool €150m (about £126m) to prise away from Leverkusen.
As with Alexander Isak, it would be foolish not to have an alternative lined up; luckily, FSG do at that.
Liverpool's dream Wirtz alternative
Liverpool clearly fancy a new playmaking midfielder, and though Wirtz is the cream of the crop, Xavi Simons isn’t far behind him.
Simons has gone from strength to strength in the Bundesliga, no longer one of the pack at Paris Saint-Germain and instead a “superstar” who is “destined for greatness,” as has been claimed by analyst Ben Mattinson.
The 22-year-old has been a key presence for RB Leipzig over the past two seasons, scoring 20 goals and laying on 23 more assists over 70 appearances.
Back in March, it was revealed that Liverpool were preparing a £67 bid for Simons, and while that didn’t materialise, the interest is genuine and he’s got his sights on the Premier League. Last Slot would love to work with his countryman, who would fit right into his midfield.
This is something of a Dutch revolution, after all. Simons is destined for the Premier League, insofar as he wants to join and has the skill set to flourish on English soil.
Like Wirtz, Simons is comfortable across a wealth of attacking positions, perhaps even more so. This season, he’s flitted back and forth from left wing and a more central attacking position, effective from both vantages.
So then, a young and right-footed playmaker with a dynamic approach. He ticks many of the same boxes as Wirtz, and he holds his own from a technical standpoint too.
Matches (starts)
30 (24)
24 (24)
Goals
10
9
Assists
12
7
Shots (on target)*
2.5 (1.2)
1.9 (0.8)
Pass completion
82%
83%
Big chances created
17
12
Key passes*
1.9
2.1
Dribbles*
2.7
1.3
Ball recoveries*
3.6
5.2
Tackles*
1.1
1.1
Duels won*
5.3
5.4
Honestly, there isn’t all that much to differentiate the two playmakers. Maybe Wirtz pips Simons, but the Netherlands international has got more than enough to make a real impact on Slot’s side.
Indeed, given that Leipzig would be seeking out a smaller fortune for his sale too, it’s something of a no-brainer given the size of the rebuild that is needed this summer.
If you needed a further illustration of the little magician’s ability, FBref have laid out even more of Simons’ impressive data from the 2024/25 campaign.
It’s shown that he ranks among the top 11% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for touches, the top 6% for ball recoveries, the top 12% for shot-creating actions, the top 1% for through balls, the top 12% for passes attempted and the top 13% for progressive passes per 90.
Shot-creating actions are pieces of play that lead to a shot. These include moments such as a pass, take-on or foul being drawn.
Truly, he’s one of the best passers out there. Given that Simons has scored more goals than he’s assisted this season, moreover, there’s even more excitement sure to be emanating from the Reds camp, whose pursuit of Wirtz could lead them to Simons, and it’s hard to suggest they’d be significantly worse off for it.
He’s withheld from mentioning him until this point, but Trent Alexander-Arnold’s expected move to Real Madrid demands a new elite-level playmaker to bolster Slot’s squad.
With a deal for Jeremie Frimpong reportedly in the closing stages, Liverpool have moved swiftly to secure competition for Conor Bradley. But neither full-back represents the one-of-a-kind creative quality of Trent.
Slot is actually clever to be shifting the playmaking focus into a more conventional number ten berth. Whether this gambit proves to be a success remains to be seen, but if Wirtz and Simons are the targets, it’s hard to envisage all that much going wrong for the Premier League champions.
It’s an exciting time to be a Liverpool fan.
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