Reports in Germany have published Florian Wirtz's expected wage at , with the Reds pushing to close a record transfer fee. Talks are ongoing between the champions and Bayer Leverkusen, with the giants valuing their star man in the region of £126million.

Such a deal would smash the British transfer record, which currently stands at £115m following Moises Caicedo's move from to in 2023. Liverpool are negotiating to bring that fee down, either through paying part of it through bonuses or instalments, or s.

When figures of such magnitude are mentioned in connection with a player, their salary is expected to fall in line. claims that Wirtz could become Liverpool's second-highest earner, behind .

Wirtz will reportedly be paid between £16.83m and £18.51m each year on Merseyside, behind only Salah for certain. could be paid more, but the exact figures will likely depend on bonuses with each player in the same region of pay.

The 22-year-old midfielder could have earned more money had he snubbed Liverpool for , but he snubbed the Bundesliga champions in order to head to England.

And Wirtz has already spoken openly about money not being a driving factor in his decision-making, telling earlier this year: "I don't even care about how much money I have in my account or what I might earn in the future.

"Of course, you should make sure you get a good contract. But for me, the sporting perspective is much more important than the money. And I think my parents would be angry if I were too fixated on money. After I moved to Leverkusen at 16, my parents managed my salary and sent me 150 euros (£126) a month.

"That shaped me. It was important to my parents that I didn't do anything stupid with my salary."

With his recent comments on social media, Wirtz has all but confirmed his move to Liverpool, even though the two clubs have not reached a full agreement regarding the fee.

There had been rumours that Wirtz wanted to wear the number 10 jersey at his new club, potentially taking it away from current holder Alexis Mac Allister.

However, the German international has , writing: "Who says I want the 10. I respect the players. Don't believe everything what's written [clown emoji]."

Wirtz's message is the first time he has directly addressed what appears to be an imminent move to Liverpool, insisting that Mac Allister's number is safe, while he gears up to pen a mouthwatering contract and play under .