The former Manchester City goalkeeper has discussed what it is like to play against Florian Wirtz ahead of Liverpool signing the attacking midfielder.

Joe Hart has admitted that he was highly impressed by Liverpool-bound Florian Wirtz when facing him during his career.

The Reds have made a breakthrough with Bayer Leverkusen to sign Wirtz in the summer transfer window. The attacking midfielder had been expected to join Bundesliga superpowers Bayern Munich, while Manchester City were heavily linked.

Liverpool have agreed a club-record fee of £100 million for Wirtz, which could rise to a British transfer record of £116 million with add-ons. The 22-year-old is one of Europe’s most exciting prospects having plundered 58 goals and 65 assists in 197 appearances for Leverkusen. In the 2023-24 campaign, he was at the fulcrum of Die Werkself’s maiden Bundesliga title triumph as well as the DFB-Pokal.

Wirtz’s arrival will undoubtedly strengthen Liverpool’s bid to defend the Premier League title next season. And having played up against Wirtz representing Celtic in the 2021-22 season - with the Scottish side losing both Europa League games - Hart reckons that Liverpool are carrying out shrewd business.

What’s been said

Speaking on talkSPORT, the former goalkeeper said: “It's something you have got to celebrate as a Premier League fan. It's not done, I'm not a big speculator but until it's done on the dotted line and he's holding that shirt, I'm not really going to talk about him as a Liverpool player.

“But I can talk about him as a Bayer Leverkusen player...whoa! I played against him about three years ago in the Europa League and he was so impressive. There's so much hype about him. He is such a clever player, really intricate, can score goals, looks like he has got a good head on his shoulders. It's a big price tag and it looks like whoever gets him, if it is Liverpool, he is going to make them a better team. But it is really exciting for the Premier League.”

Liverpool transfer business

Wirtz is expected to undergo his medical at Liverpool later this week. He’s one of four potential signings before Arne Slot’s side return to pre-season training on 8 July.

Last summer, the Reds agreed to sign Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia for up to £29 million. The goalkeeper remained at the Spanish outfit for the 2024-25 campaign to get regular minutes under his belt.

Wirtz’s former Leverkusen team-mate and close friend Jeremie Frimpong has already joined Liverpool. He has replaced Trent Alexander-Arnold in a deal worth £29.5 million. In addition, the Reds are hoping to strengthen the left-back area, with AFC Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez closing in on a move to Anfield.

Several players could also depart Liverpool in the coming weeks. Darwin Nunez is one who may leave having endured a stuttering three years on Merseyside. Napoli and AC Milan are said to be keen on Nunez’s services, with the former also linked with Federico Chiesa.

With Wirtz arriving, Harvey Elliott’s future has been shrouded in doubt. The attacking midfielder was a bit-part player during the title-winning campaign and has admitted he does not want to waste his best years of his career.