The Merz government must promote investment, says German Council of Economic Experts
Monika Schnitzer, chair of the German Council of Economic Experts, discusses the German economy and the GCEE's spring report.
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Fox Sports
3 hours ago
- Fox Sports
10 most expensive transfers in soccer history: Where does Florian Wirtz rank?
Liverpool made a splash on Friday when they signed German midfielder Florian Wirtz in a deal that could become the biggest ever in English Premier League history. Liverpool could pay up to $156 million once add-ons are achieved to German side Bayer Leverkusen, which would break the Premier League mark set by Chelsea signing Endo Fernandez from Benfica for $130.5 million. Wirtz played at Leverkusen for five seasons and helped the club win its first ever Bundesliga League title in 2023. Now, he'll join the defending champions of the EPL, as well as the list of the highest-paid soccer players in the world. What players have commanded deals similar to the record-breaking one Wirtz just received? Here's a look at the top 10 most expensive transfers in soccer history and how they played out: 10. Jack Grealish: $126.8 million Jack Grealish's $126.8 million transfer from Aston Villa to Manchester City looks much better now than it did at the start. After struggling mightily in his first season with the Sky Blues, Grealish was a key contributor during City's treble-winning 2022-23 campaign, tallying five goals and 11 assists in all competitions, up from six goals and four assists last season. Grealish's transfer fee is the most for an English player ever. 9. Antoine Griezmann: $129 million Barcelona activated Antoine Griezmann's $129 million buyout clause from Atletico Madrid in 2019. However, Griezmman's time in Barcelona didn't last long, as he returned to Atléti on loan in 2021 after two unsuccessful seasons at the Camp Nou. Atléti made the transfer permanent in 2022 by paying $21 million for Griezmann, $108 million less than what Barcelona paid for him two years prior. Griezmann contributed 35 goals and 17 assists in 102 appearances for Barcelona. 8. Enzo Fernandez: $130.5 million Coming off of winning the FIFA Young Player Award at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Enzo Fernandez secured a $130.5 million transfer from Benfica to Chelsea in January. While the 22-year-old wasn't able to turn Chelsea's season around, he was one of the few bright spots for the Blues during a season in which they finished 12th in the English Premier League. 7. Joao Felix: $137 million Joao Felix's $137 million move from Benfica to Atlético Madrid was historic for both clubs, as it was Benfica's biggest sale in club history and Atlético's biggest-ever transfer. Unfortunately, Felix hasn't made much history in Madrid outside his price tag. While the 2019 Golden Boy-winner helped Atléti lift its first La Liga trophy in seven years in 2021, injuries and disagreements with the club's legendary manager Diego Simeone have prevented him from living up to his price tag. Felix spent the second half of the 2022-23 campaign on loan at Chelsea, and spent the 2024-25 season on loan with the Italian club AC Milan. 6. Ousmane Dembele: $145 million When Ousmane Dembele was healthy, the $145 million transfer fee Barcelona paid to acquire him from Borussia Dortmund in 2017 looked completely justified, but injuries made the deal difficult to evaluate. Because while he won three La Liga titles and three domestic cups in six years at Barcelona, he was sidelined for the high and lows the clubs has experienced in that time. His final season at Barcelona was arguably his most impactful, as he contributed five goals and seven assists en route to a La Liga title. Dembele ultimately transferred to Paris Saint Germain in 2023, and has since had a resurgence, helping the team to two league titles and winning the UEFA Champions League trophy in 2025. 5. Philippe Coutinho: $145 million The fifth-most expensive transfer in soccer history is also one of the worst. Pegged as the perfect replacement for club legend Andres Iniesta, Philippe Coutinho transferred to Barcelona from Liverpool for a fee of $145 million in 2018. What followed was the nightmare scenario for Barcelona. Coutinho, Barcelona's most expensive player of all time, played only one full season for the club before he was loaned out to FC Bayern before the start of his third season. Coutinho returned to Barcelona for the 2020-21 season, but a season-ending knee injury limited him to just 14 appearances in all competitions. In January 2022, Coutinho transferred to Premier League club Aston Villa for $26 million. Coutinho ended his Barcelona career with 25 goals and 14 assists in 106 appearances with Barcelona. With Liverpool, he had 54 goals and 45 assists in 201 appearances. 4. Moises Caicedo: $146 million The Ecuador midfielder's move was previously the most expensive deal by a British club, with Chelsea buying him from Brighton in August 2023, before Liverpool purchased Florian Wirtz. Caicedo appeared in 38 matches for Chelsea this past season, helping the team keep 11 clean sheets while finishing fourth in the English Premier League. 3. Florian Wirtz: $156 million (if add-ons achieved) Wirtz is one of the brightest young stars in world soccer. As a 20-year-old, he had 11 goals and 11 assists in 32 matches as he helped Bayer Leverkusen win its first Bundesliga league title. He followed that up with a 10-goal, 12-assist season as Leverkusen finished second in the Bundesliga and also made it to the Knockout Stage of the UEFA Champions League. Because of the lofty price tag, Wirtz will have loads of pressure on him when he arrives at Liverpool and slots in next to Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch in The Reds' midfield. 2. Kylian Mbappe: $194 million In hindsight, $194 million feels like a steal for a player of Kylian Mbappe's caliber. Though the 24-year-old did not win the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain, he brought a record five consecutive Ligue 1 titles and eight domestic cups to the club since joining them from Monaco in 2017. He was also named Ligue 1 Player of the Year four times as a PSG player. In March of 2023, Mbappe passed Edinson Cavani's to become PSG's all-time leading goalscorer, and he did it in 54 fewer games. After seven seasons with PSG, Mbappe transferred to Real Madrid. 1. Neymar: $239 million It was always going to be difficult for Neymar to live up to the $239 million price tag that PSG paid Barcelona for his talents in 2017, but injuries made it even harder for him to justify it. He wasn't able to bring PSG its Champions League victory. Still, he had an outstanding career with the club, recording 118 goals and 77 assists in 173 appearances, and winning 13 trophies in six years. FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience Kylian Mbappe Paris SG Ligue 1 recommended Get more from FIFA Men's World Cup Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
🚨 Official: Florian Wirtz signs for Liverpool!
Historic transfer! After five seasons at Bayer Leverkusen, his training club, Florian Wirtz is leaving the Bundesliga and committing to Liverpool. The English club made the news official this Friday evening! Wirtz joins the Reds in exchange for a check ranging between 136 and 150 million euros, depending on whether you listen to the English or German press. Regardless, it's a colossal operation, the biggest transfer in the history of Liverpool FC and the Premier League; the third most expensive in all of football history, behind the arrivals of Neymar (222 million euros) and Kylian Mbappé (180 million euros) to Paris Saint-Germain, in 2017 and 2018. Advertisement A pillar of Xabi Alonso's Bayer, German champion, winner of the German Cup and finalist of the Europa League in 2023-2024, Florian Wirtz leaves Leverkusen after 196 matches played and 56 goals scored in all competitions. The 22-year-old German international is stepping up by joining the reigning champions of England and the Premier League. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here. 📸 TOBIAS SCHWARZ - AFP or licensors
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Liverpool complete record swoop for Wirtz from Leverkusen
Florian Wirtz (right) inspired Leverkusen to a German league and cup double in 2023/24 (Roberto Pfeil) Liverpool completed the blockbuster signing of Germany forward Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen on Friday in a deal which could reportedly rise to a Premier League record fee. It was reported in England that the Premier League champions will pay an initial £100 million ($134 million) for Wirtz, comfortably surpassing their own record outlay. Advertisement A further £16 million in performance-related add-ons would make it a British record deal. However, reports in Germany suggested the fee could be even higher, starting at 130 million euros (£111 million, $149 million) with add-ons taking it to 150 million euros. One of European football's elite young stars, Wirtz has been hailed as one of the "best in the world" by former Leverkusen coach and ex-Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso, who is the new boss of Real Madrid. "I'm really excited to have a new adventure in front of me. This was also a big point of my thoughts: that I want to have something completely new, to go out of the Bundesliga and to join the Premier League," Wirtz told the club's website. Advertisement "In the end, we want to be successful. Last season they won the Premier League so my goal is for sure to win it again and also to go further in the Champions League. I'm really ambitious." The 22-year-old played a crucial role in Leverkusen's greatest season as they claimed a first-ever Bundesliga title and the German Cup in 2023/24 without losing a single game under Alonso. Their only defeat that season, during which Wirtz was crowned Bundesliga player of the year, came in the Europa League final to Atalanta, denying Leverkusen a memorable treble. Bayern Munich restored their grip on the German game last season, with Leverkusen a distant second, and Wirtz is joining an exodus from the BayArena. Advertisement Netherlands defender Jeremie Frimpong has already made the move from Leverkusen to Liverpool last month. After largely keeping their powder dry in the transfer market during Arne Slot's first season in charge, the Reds are splashing out to strengthen a side that romped to a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title. Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez is poised to make the move to Anfield in a £40 million deal. Liverpool have also been linked with Newcastle striker Alexander Isak and Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi. Where Wirtz's fits into Slot's plans remains to be seen. He largely played behind a central striker at Leverkusen and has operated from a wider role for Germany. Advertisement A return of 57 goals and 65 assists in 197 games for Leverkusen is evidence that he carries a threat both as a creator and a goalscorer. Liverpool are already blessed with an abundance of forward options, with Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo all offering a goal threat. However, Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez and Federico Chiesa now face even stiffer competition to get into Slot's starting line-up, raising the prospect of Liverpool selling some of that trio to free up further transfer resources. kca/smg/bsp
