Jurgen Klopp has fired a warning to Florian Wirtz following his “insane” summer move from Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool.
The Germany international secured a high-profile switch to Anfield for a club-record fee of €117.5m, and he could become the most expensive signing in Premier League history if add-on clauses are met.
However, Klopp has admitted that his former club paid an “insane” fee to land Wirtz this summer, while he has warned the 22-year-old that criticism will soon pile up if he doesn’t start well in England.
Klopp, who spent nine years and won nine trophies as Liverpool boss before leaving last summer, is currently Head of Global Soccer for the Red Bull Group and he weighed in on Wirtz’s move to Anfield during an in-depth interview with German outlet Welt.
Jurgen Klopp issues warning to Florian Wirtz
“There’s no question about it, it’s an insane sum, and one that a player at Liverpool is aware of if things don’t go well for two or three games,” Klopp admitted.
“We all agree that we’re talking about a great player here. I know I once said that I’m out if we pay €100m for a player. But the world is changing. That’s just the way the market is.
“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 has signed a five-year contract at Liverpool and he could make his competitive debut for the club during their Community Shield clash against Crystal Palace on 10 August.
Arne Slot’s side have also completed the signings of Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong and Armin Pecsi so far this summer, while they are in advanced talks over a deal for Marc Guehi.
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