Havertz 2.0: Liverpool could swoop for £125m-rated gem, imagine him and Diaz – opinion

Liverpool have been tipped as potential suitors to secure the signature of Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder, Florian Wirtz.

That is according to New York Times correspondent Rory Smith, who has suggested that Wirtz could be snapped up by the likes of Liverpool in the near future.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Smith dubbed the Leverkusen teenager the “next Havertz” saying: “If a club like Bayern Munich don’t buy him down the line, then it could be the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool or Manchester City.”

With Wirtz currently 18-years-old, Smith said: “He’s the next cab off the rank for a big fee. Leverkusen would do well to keep him until he is 20.

“It may not be Bayern. If it’s not Bayern [that buys him], then it will be Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea or Arsenal who buys him.”

Wirtz has marched on from what was his breakout season in the 20/21 campaign and carried a similar vein of form that has seen his attacking returns maintain their upward trajectory.

In 24 Bundesliga appearances this season, Wirtz has bagged an impressive 17 attacking returns in the form of seven goals and ten assists.

His market value, according to Transfermarkt, is rated at £63 million, though Leverkusen reiterated just last month that it would take a fee of £125 million to secure the 18-year-old’s services.

With both Havertz and Wirtz rising to fame at Leverkusen, as well as playing the same position, and achieving relatively similar metrics for offensive participations – it is easy to understand the comparison that Smith made.

And although Wirtz’s defensive numbers could do with some work, his average of 21 pressures per 90, with 11 of these pressures in the middle third, make him a viable asset for Liverpool’s current regime – with Wirtz