Florian Wirtz has furiously denied rumours that he is demanding to wear an iconic shirt number at Liverpool. The Reds have made a bold start to the summer window by entering talks over a club-record move for the Germany international. Negotiations are still ongoing but he is thought to be keen on moving to Anfield.
Earlier this week, it was reported by Sky Germany that Wirtz ‘would like’ to wear the No 10 shirt currently occupied by Alexis Mac Allister. He has worn the number at Bayer Leverkusen for the last two seasons and was said to be keen on taking it at Anfield. However, the 22-year-old has categorically denied those claims in a furious statement.
Wirtz posted a short written message on his Instagram story, which read: “Who says I want the 10? I respect players. Don’t believe everything what’s written,” followed by a clown emoji.
Giving the shirt to Wirtz would risk upsetting Mac Allister, who was delighted to inherit the number upon his arrival at Anfield two years ago.
Speaking at the time, he said: “I know how important the No 10 is in football. I had the possibility to take the No 8 as well, which is a big number for this club because of [Steven] Gerrard, of course.
“But I decided for No 10 because I used it a lot of times, in Argentina, in Brighton under-23s. It’s a number I really like and that’s why I chose it.”
It remains to be seen which number Wirtz will wear at Liverpool if his proposed move to Merseyside goes ahead. Terms still need to be agreed at club level, with Bayer Leverkusen said to be holding out for around £120million.
Liverpool have already submitted an offer in the region of £105m, according to Sky Sports. The report adds that Wirtz only wants to join the Reds despite additional interest from Manchester City and Bayern Munich.
It was previously reported that Wirtz chose to prioritise a move to Liverpool due to the possibility of starting more games. According to Bild, he did not receive assurances from Bayern Munich with the question of his role ‘not finally resolved’.
They were reportedly planning to start Jamal Musiala, who recently signed a long-term contract extension, ahead of Wirtz. This led to him facing a straight choice between Liverpool and Manchester City.
During initial talks, both clubs were said to have guaranteed Wirtz ‘a central role in attack’ before he eventually settled on joining the Reds. With discussions thought to be progressing behind the scenes, it may not be long before a breakthrough is made.