The new Premier League champions have pulled off a major coup by landing the Germany international, who can take them to an even higher level

"He’s probably the best player in Europe at the moment," former Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann said on the after confirmation of Florian Wirtz's British-record £116 million ($159m) move to Anfield from Bayer Leverkusen was widely reported. "He played in a team that were 16th or 17th when [Xabi] Alonso took over, they end up winning the league the season after, this year they finished second. The biggest reason is Florian Wirtz. He is exceptional."

Hamann added on whether Wirtz can hit the ground running in the Premier League: "The reason why I think he will be a success is that he can look after himself. He is like a street kid. He won't shirk a challenge." In other words, Wirtz is a game-changer with an edge. Liverpool have broken the bank to sign the 22-year-old ahead of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Manchester City, but it's a shrewd investment that could pay off handsomely.

Almost three-and-a-half years ago, Wirtz tore his anterior cruciate ligament in a Bundesliga clash against Koln, and underwent a gruelling 10-month rehabilitation programme. It was feared that the injury would derail the playmaker's career before it had properly taken off, but under the guidance of Alonso, he defied all the odds to come back and spearhead the most successful period in Leverkusen's entire history.

The technical quality and mental fortitude Wirtz has shown at such a young age are nothing short of remarkable. Hamann's confidence in the Germany international is a reflection of that, and will be shared not only by all the decision-makers at Liverpool, but also neutral fans across the Premier League. This feels like the rarest type of transfer in the modern era: a sure thing.

Because of Wirtz's elite status and the money involved, it's also a deal that will have far-reaching implications. As such, GOAL has come up with eight winners and losers from the biggest transfer of the summer so far…

Getty ImagesWINNER: Arne Slot

There were a lot of question marks around Arne Slot when he was chosen to succeed the beloved Jurgen Klopp in the Anfield hot seat last summer. He delivered the Eredivisie title at Feyenoord in 2022-23, but his side subsequently finished seven points behind champions PSV in the following season, and the Dutchman had no coaching experience outside of his homeland to speak of.

Some critics felt Slot would just be another Erik ten Hag – the former Ajax manager who failed so spectacularly at Manchester United – while others felt he lacked the charisma that made Klopp such a revered figure on Merseyside. But within the space of just a few months, all those doubts were extinguished, as Liverpool stormed to the top of both the Premier League and the Champions League league phase table.

The Reds ended up being ousted from Europe by eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain, but clinched their second Premier League crown with four games to spare, and finished the season with the best attacking record in the division. Slot didn't just carry on the Klopp blueprint; he improved on it, despite only making one summer signing in the form of £10m winger Federico Chiesa.

Now, Slot is recognised as one of the best coaches on the planet, and that's one of the main reasons why Wirtz has chosen Anfield. Last season wasn't just a one-off for Liverpool; Slot is dynasty-planning after proving he deserves to be backed in the transfer market. Wirtz's arrival will pave the way for plenty more marquee signings as Liverpool strive to dominate on both domestic and European fronts for years to come.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportLOSER: Harry Kane & Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich are used to having everything their way in Germany. They're expected to sweep the top domestic prizes every year, and on the rare occasions they fall short, the green light is given to raid their closest rivals.

Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah is the latest man to succumb to the lure of guaranteed success at Bayern, following in the footsteps of Bundesliga legends like Michael Ballack, Manuel Neuer and Robert Lewandowski. But for once, Bayern did not land the big fish.

Despite reportedly offering Wirtz a higher salary package, he opted for Liverpool over Bayern. The Germany international is said to have been more convinced by the sporting project at Anfield, which is a humiliating blow for Bayern and their current head coach, Vincent Kompany.

It's easy to imagine Wirtz linking up with Harry Kane to devastating effect, but Bayern's disappointing 2024-25 Champions League campaign showed they still have a long way to go as a collective to reach the very top again. The Bundesliga champions' pulling power has dwindled and Wirtz is unlikely to be the only ambitious young star to turn down their advances this summer.

Getty Images SportWINNER: Mohamed Salah

Mohamed Salah was the best player in the Premier League last season. A staggering 47 goal involvements in 38 games represented his best return yet for the Reds, and for the first half of the campaign especially, the Egyptian was almost unplayable.

Unfortunately, it almost certainly will not be enough to win the Ballon d'Or over PSG's Champions League hero Ousmane Dembele or Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal. Salah's output dropped down the finishing stretch, and given the current voting set up, he will almost certainly be penalised for exiting Europe's elite competition at the round of 16 stage.

But even after turning 33 this month, Salah's Golden Ball ambitions are not totally dead in the water. The 2025 prize may be out of his reach, but linking up with Wirtz might just give him the edge next year.

Salah won't have to shoulder so much of the creative burden now that Wirtz is backing him up. His assists total may drop, but Liverpool's talismanic forward could potentially score even goals with the Leverkusen maestro on hand to provide world-class service, and he's thus less likely to run out of steam in the final portion of the season.

Getty Images SportLOSER: Cody Gakpo

Cody Gakpo's first two seasons at Liverpool were somewhat underwhelming, but Slot managed to bring the best out of the former PSV star in 2024-25. Under Klopp, Gakpo was deployed mostly as a striker and found himself in and out of the starting line up as a result, but one of Slot's first orders of business was to make the Netherlands international Liverpool's first-choice left winger, and it paid off.

The 26-year-old registered a combined 25 goals and assists across all competitions in his first campaign under Slot, becoming a key source of defence-splitting passes while also wreaking havoc with his late runs into the penalty area. But the signing of Wirtz might just put Gakpo back to square one.

Wirtz regularly played as an inverted winger off the left at Leverkusen, and could be a better partner than Gakpo for rumoured Liverpool target Milo Kerkez, who has mastered the art of quick overlaps at Bournemouth. Interestingly, Gakpo is now being strongly linked with Bayern, which may be an indication that the Dutch forward is already questioning whether he and Wirtz can both fit into Slot's XI.