Florian Wirtz’s potential summer move to Liverpool continues to generate headlines—not just for the transfer fee, but for the legal tensions it’s stirring between Bayer Leverkusen and 1. FC Köln. While Liverpool may not be directly involved in this particular clash, Köln president Werner Wolf has declared the club will pursue all legal options to secure what they believe they’re owed.
If Liverpool manage to reach a deal with Leverkusen, Wirtz could become the most expensive signing in the club’s history—and possibly a British record. Leverkusen have already turned down a €130 million (£109 million) offer, with their asking price believed to be €150 million (£126 million).
This would represent an enormous return on their €300,000 (£252,000) outlay when they signed Wirtz from Köln in January 2020, a transfer that caused considerable friction locally. Back in 2001, Rhineland clubs—including Köln, Leverkusen, and Borussia Mönchengladbach—had reportedly formed a gentleman’s agreement not to poach each other’s youth players. That pact was tested when Köln signed Leverkusen’s 12-year-old Marco Quotschalla under an eight-year deal. So when Wirtz moved from Köln to Leverkusen, tensions were reignited.
In a past interview with Sports Illustrated, Wirtz said his move was motivated purely by career development, not money. Still, BILD now describes the matter as a looming “million-euro legal battle” if Liverpool completes the deal.
Köln president Wolf confirmed to Radio Cologne, “Of course, we’re looking into it. We know what we’re entitled to and we’ll fight for it. We’re watching this very closely. The more Liverpool pays, the better for us.”
FIFA rules state that 5% of any transfer fee must be distributed as training compensation to the clubs involved in a player’s development from age 12 to 23. In this case, should the fee reach €150 million, the disputed amount would be €7.5 million (£6.3 million).
Wirtz joined Köln’s academy at age 7 and stayed until he was 16—meaning nearly five years of training time from age 12 onward. He made his debut for Leverkusen just after turning 17 and for the German national team at 18. This could affect how compensation is calculated, and Köln is expected to make their case through FIFA’s Clearing House.
Sports law expert Dr. Gregor Reiter said Köln’s legal pursuit is “entirely justifiable.”
