Dave Hendrick On The Liverpool Leverkusen Double Swoop | OneFootball

Liverpool Eyeing Leverkusen Duo as Transfer Plot Thickens

Liverpool’s Premier League title may be confirmed, but the planning for what comes next is already well underway. In a remarkable edition of The Daily Red Podcast, Dave Hendrick pulled no punches in detailing the club’s ambitious summer transfer targets—namely, Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong of Bayer Leverkusen.

“Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes don’t meet with the player and his father if it’s just exploring a possibility,” Hendrick emphasised, making it clear the Reds’ interest in Wirtz is far more advanced than early speculation suggested.

Leverkusen Stand-Off and Wirtz’s Genius

Wirtz, dubbed by Hendrick as “a genius footballer,” reportedly flew into Blackpool with his father to meet Liverpool officials. The club’s move to keep it quiet didn’t work. “It leaked,” Hendrick said, prompting Liverpool to “go into hype control mode.”

While German sources claim the meeting was exclusive to Liverpool, UK reports suggest Manchester City are also in the race. However, Hendrick dismissed the notion that this was a mere feeler meeting:

“That’s beyond the stage of exploring a possibility—you’re down the road when you’re meeting with the player.”

Leverkusen have reportedly slapped a €150m tag on Wirtz—£126.3m in sterling—if Bayern Munich are involved. Hendrick hinted a more reasonable price could be negotiated for other clubs, such as Liverpool, due to Leverkusen’s animosity toward their Bundesliga rivals:

“They do not want to sell to Bayern… They’re sick of how Bayern conduct themselves.”

Could Frimpong Unlock the Wirtz Deal?

A potential double swoop could be in play. Hendrick speculated that Jeremie Frimpong—Wirtz’s close friend and attacking right-back—might be part of Liverpool’s strategy to lure the German to Anfield.

Photo: IMAGO

“Frimpong could help us get what would be the deal of the summer across the line.”

But Frimpong’s value doesn’t just lie in sentiment. While Hendrick conceded he’s “not a good right-back,” he added that Frimpong is “dynamite going forward” and could be reshaped tactically:

“Maybe with the right tweaks, you can make him into a serviceable defensive right-back.”

Sales, Wages, and Strategic Reshuffle

To finance such a mammoth deal, Hendrick proposed sales of Luis Díaz, Harvey Elliott, and Ben Doak, stating:

“Those three could cover Florian Wirtz… Even though you’re selling three to buy one, he replaces all three.”

With Trent Alexander-Arnold and others potentially off the wage bill, the financial viability is suddenly clear:

“Thiago (in the past) going and Trent going more than pay the wages for Florian Wirtz.”

There’s a creative logic underpinning the pursuit. Wirtz’s ability to “create a forcefield around himself,” Hendrick described, would elevate Liverpool’s attacking patterns under new manager Arne Slot:

“He’s not a sprinter, but he’s quick enough… He operates on a totally different level.”

A Statement of Intent

If the summer ends with both Wirtz and Frimpong walking into Anfield, it will mark not just smart business—but a warning shot to Europe. As Hendrick summarised:

“That side of the pitch—Virgil, Kirk, Alexis, Wirtz—just looks incredible… Arne might just say ‘let’s go and blow everybody away.’”

It’s rare for Liverpool to be this bold this early. But if Hendrick’s insights are to be believed, the club is not just preparing for another title run—they’re engineering a new era.