Arne Slot persuaded Florian Wirtz to pick Liverpool instead of Bayern Munich by making one key promise that he now has to fulfill.

Arne Slot’s pivotal role in persuading Florian Wirtz to join Liverpool instead of other European heavyweights has now come to light.

Wirtz, the Bayer Leverkusen and Germany star, is poised to be one of the marquee transfers of the summer, attracting serious interest from Liverpool, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City.

City had initially identified Wirtz as an ideal successor to Kevin De Bruyne but withdrew due to financial concerns. Additionally, uncertainty over Pep Guardiola’s future reportedly influenced Wirtz’s reluctance to commit to the Manchester club.

In contrast, Liverpool made a strong push. According to a new report, manager Arne Slot provided Wirtz with direct and convincing assurances, which played a decisive role in swaying the 22-year-old toward Anfield over a return to Germany with Bayern.

Bayern, fresh off reclaiming the Bundesliga title from Leverkusen, attempted to make Wirtz their next big signing. On May 18, Wirtz held a secret meeting with Bayern executives—manager Vincent Kompany even presented a detailed pitch using a laptop—but the Belgian left the meeting with lingering doubts.

Though Wirtz gave Bayern’s offer serious consideration, particularly on the advice of his father and advisor Hans-Joachim, he ultimately declined their approach five days later.

The turning point, according to BILD, was his experience with Liverpool and the clear vision shared by Slot. Since March, Slot had been authorized to speak with Wirtz, outlining in detail the attacking role he’d play and assuring him of a central position in the team.

The passion shown by both Slot and the club reportedly left Wirtz “completely captivated” and proved decisive in his choice.

A British-record transfer of £126.3 million is said to be imminent, with Sky Sports’ Sacha Tavolieri reporting that Wirtz is expected to board a private jet to finalize a five-year deal. Liverpool are also on the verge of completing a £34.2 million move for Jeremie Frimpong, signaling a major double swoop from Leverkusen.