Bayer Leverkusen are in advanced negotiations with Liverpool to sign defender Jarell Quansah, while the Bundesliga club’s playmaker Florian Wirtz arrived in the UK on Thursday evening to complete his £100m move to the Premier League champions.

An agreement is understood to be close for Quansah to move to the BayArenA, although that deal would be a separate one from the Wirtz transfer, if it is completed.

Liverpool have been looking for a fee of £40m for Quansah but Leverkusen have never paid a transfer fee even close to that before. The final figures of this deal are yet to be decided.

Sky Sports News previously reported Leverkusen’s interest in Quansah as the Wirtz move began to progress.

Quansah – who has been in contention for a senior England cap in recent months – signed a new five-year contract at Liverpool last October.

Wirtz flying to Liverpool to complete £100m move

Leverkusen playmaker Wirtz is due on Merseyside on Thursday to finalise his big-money transfer to Liverpool. He landed in the UK on Thursday evening.

The Germany international, 22, is set to undergo a medical on Friday.

Wirtz has been on his post-season holiday while Leverkusen and Liverpool tie up a deal that could reach a British-record fee of £116.5m.

The player is set to sign a five-year contract on a minimum salary of £195,000 per week, which could become £245,000 per week with bonuses.

Wirtz only wanted to join Liverpool during this window, Sky Sports News understands, and not for the money.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot’s tactical plan for the playmaker is said to be one of the key reasons he has chosen to move to Anfield.

Nunez open to joining Napoli

Latest news from Sky in Italy reporter Gianluca Di Marzio:

Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez is believed to be open to a move to Napoli this summer.

The Serie A champions have begun work towards a deal for the Uruguay international, but are not willing to pay Liverpool’s valuation of £59.8m (€70m).

It is understood the Premier League champions will listen to offers for Nunez this summer.

The forward, who scored just seven goals in all competitions last season, including five in the Premier League as Liverpool won the title, has had interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia, but has previously preferred the idea of moving to Spain.

Liverpool are targeting a new striker themselves for next season.

Quansah wants ‘to take the next step’ in his career – this move could suit both parties

Analysis by Sky Sports’ Richard Morgan:

The news that Bayer Leverkusen are in talks to sign Quansah will no doubt leave Reds supporters with mixed feelings.

Quansah has blossomed since spending a six-month loan spell at League One Bristol Rovers in the second half of the 2022-23 season.

The 22-year-old made his debut under previous manager Jurgen Klopp the following campaign, making 33 appearances in all competitions, including 16 in the Premier League, playing a key role as Liverpool challenged on all four fronts deep into that campaign.

The England U21 international was on the Wembley pitch when the Reds beat Chelsea to win that season’s Carabao Cup, even being named as a provisional member of Gareth Southgate’s expanded Euro 2024 squad, before eventually being omitted.

However, the defender only played in 25 games in total, 13 of which were in the league, as Slot’s side won the title last season, with the new Reds head coach preferring to go with Ibrahima Konate instead as Virgil van Dijk’s centre-back partner – despite the Dutchman actually picking the Warrington-born player for the top-flight opener at Ipswich Town.

Quansah, who only signed a new five-year Reds deal last October, recently suggested he may need to leave Anfield to progress his career.

“I’m in a very good position to take the next step and it just comes with working hard and staying focused on what I can control,” he said while on England duty at the European U21 championship.

And with Liverpool looking set to spend big in this summer’s transfer window, having already signed Jeremie Frimpong, with more arrivals set to follow – owners Fenway Sports Group may now need to balance the books.

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