Club now CERTAIN Florian Wirtz will join

Liverpool are desperately hoping that their efforts to sign Florian Wirtz will be enough.

The Reds have made their intentions clear and that is to bring the German playmaker to Merseyside.

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Prior to these reports about Wirtz, a new No.10 was not considered to be a priority on the transfer shopping list. Dominik Szoboszlai had performed admirably, and while the Hungarian had room for improvement, it was not seen as something that needed to be addressed straightaway.

And while the interest in Wirtz might seem to be quite a drastic decision that the club is come to, the reality is that a deal for the 22-year-old would be a signing that could embolden the entire team.

He's able to play in a variety of different positions, and it would take Arne Slot's setup to a whole other level. World class assets are not easy to come by and getting one over Bayern Munich - Wirtz's other major suitors - is a bit of a rarity as well. This saga will be a battle for the ages.

Bayern believe they have the edge over Liverpool

In the eyes of the newly crowned Bundesliga champions, Wirtz is a done deal, one way or another.

According to Christian Falk, writing for CF Bayern Insider: "The attacking midfielder had agreed on two potential pathways to Munich. One being an immediate transfer this summer (provided both clubs can agree a fee), and the second being a move delayed to next summer."

As such, the possibility that Wirtz could move to Anfield is completely foreign to their understanding.

He is destined to move to Bayern and the tradition of players moving from one German team to the most successful German team will remain. Everyone else is a feeder club for them.

But it's not quite as straightforward as that in reality, and Liverpool's expedited interest in Wirtz has properly thrown a spanner in the works. There is now an established two-horse race.

Falk adds: "Liverpool's decision makers, led by Michael Edwards, flew to Boston this week to meet Liverpool's owners, Fenway Sports Group, in order to approve the funds for the potential transfer.

"The meeting in the USA was called at short notice following the Wirtz family's visit. The Liverpool bosses' main aim is to snatch the midfielder away from FC Bayern."

Of course, the media on both sides is likely to be biased in some respects, but this genuinely couldn't be any closer of a race for the player. His decision will be paramount.

Personal terms are always key, Liverpool know this better than most after missing out on Martin Zubimendi and Moises Caicedo because of this exact reason - both painful transfers to miss out on.

All in all, however, no one knows where Wirtz will be going. The player will still be weighing up both options and another year at Leverkusen is on the cards as well, so all of his options remain plausible.

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But neither side will be giving up any time soon, and we'll have to wait before we get full clarity.

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