Liverpool have officially ended their pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz after negotiations stalled over the German club’s steep asking price. With the move now off the table, new manager Arne Slot has identified Manchester City’s Jack Grealish as his top attacking target for the summer.
According to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool made a substantial bid of £100 million with an additional £13 million in potential bonuses for Wirtz. However, Leverkusen stood firm, insisting on a £150 million fee without concessions.
“Liverpool were pushing hard for Wirtz,” Romano said. “But Leverkusen made it clear — no discounts, only full price.”
Had it gone through, the deal would have broken the British transfer record currently held by Moisés Caicedo’s £115 million move to Chelsea. However, Liverpool backed out, viewing Leverkusen’s valuation as unrealistic. The situation was further complicated by a 5% fee owed to FC Köln under FIFA’s training compensation rules.
Although Wirtz had shown interest in joining the Premier League, Liverpool have now moved on — turning their attention to Jack Grealish, who has fallen down the ranks at Manchester City following a lackluster 2024/25 season.
Grealish, once a central figure in City’s treble-winning campaign, made only 16 starts last season and was left out of both the final Premier League game and the FA Cup Final. Younger players like 19-year-old Claudio Echeverri have taken priority under Pep Guardiola.
With City gearing up for the Club World Cup and reportedly open to letting Grealish leave — whether on loan or permanently — Liverpool see a chance to bolster their attack with a high-profile signing.
Former teammate Shay Given believes Grealish still has top-tier potential. “Jack is a rare talent,” he told Metro. “He could play for any top side in England — Liverpool included — as long as he’s used correctly and stays consistent.”
Arne Slot reportedly sees Grealish as a central piece in reshaping Liverpool’s attack, especially amid ongoing transfer speculation surrounding Luis Díaz and Darwin Núñez.
As City consider offers and Liverpool look to reinforce their squad, Grealish may soon be swapping Etihad blue for Anfield red.
