Florian Wirtz has responded to a heartfelt open letter from Bayer Leverkusen chief Simon Rolfes after completing his £100million move to Liverpool. The Germany international's transfer was confirmed on Friday, with the Premier League champions beating Manchester City and Bayern Munich to his signature.
The fee for the 22-year-old could rise by a further £16m through add-ons, potentially making it a British record. Following the announcement, Rolfes took to LinkedIn to pay tribute to the attacking midfielder, describing him as "one of the best players in the world" and "a special person".
In the letter, Rolfes recalled Wirtz's mindset, his recovery from an ACL injury, and a hat-trick in a title-deciding match against Werder Bremen. He wrote: "You never lost that hunger. If anything your mindset grew stronger after your ACL injury. That attitude made you a leader. Quiet, focused, driven."
Leverkusen shared the letter on Instagram, and Wirtz responded with a praying hands emoji and two red hearts. The move ends a four-and-a-half-year spell at the club, which began when he joined from FC Köln's youth system in January 2020.
