Florian Wirtz has already told Liverpool fans what nickname they absolutely cannot call him if he joins from Bayer Leverkusen

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Liverpool fans are growing in excitement as the summer transfer window begins to heat up.

The Reds have had plenty of reason to celebrate in recent times and will top that off with a Premier League trophy lift on Sunday.

In the meantime, Liverpool are giving their supporters added joy by pushing ahead with a mammoth deal to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen.

Wirtz had been expected to join either Bayern Munich or Manchester City this summer. However, after a breakthrough was made on Friday, Liverpool are closing in on Wirtz’s signing.

Should a deal be agreed with Leverkusen, it is almost certain to represent a record transfer fee for the Reds. The German is a budding superstar and the finances involved will be a reflection of that.

That is not for supporters to worry about, though. Instead, they should spend their time familiarising themselves with their potential new signing. And while they may not need help with pronunciation, fans have been told by Wirtz that he does not want a certain nickname to stick if he does rock up at Anfield.

Florian Wirtz vetoes nickname

Getting to know a new player is always exciting for supporters, especially when it is a signing as seismic as Wirtz.

And as Liverpool fans trawl the internet to find compilations and information about their latest potential addition, they should note what he enjoys – and does not enjoy – being named.

Nicknames play a big part in football, after all. Who would Ibrahima Konate be if he was not ‘Ibou’, for example, and would Mohamed Salah be the same if he did not enjoy being referred to simply as ‘Mo’?

For Wirtz, he sat down and filmed a TikTok with the official Bundesliga account in April in which he was asked if he had a childhood nickname while growing up.

READ MORE: Bayern Munich issue Florian Wirtz statement that edges Liverpool closer to transfer deal

“My family just called me Flori,” the 22-year-old answers, in perfect English. “But my parents don’t like if people call me Flo.

“I don’t like Flori. Just my siblings and my family are allowed to say this!”

Wirtz explains pre-match ritual

As well as giving some extra details about his personal life for Liverpool fans to gobble up, Wirtz gave an insight into how he prepares for each match.

Asked if there’s anything he needs before every game, the Germany international admitted to cutting holes in his socks as kick-off approaches.

“To cut my socks because I wear them low,” Wirtz answered. “I cut them just before the match.”

Wirtz also named his long-range goal against Werder Bremen in 2023/24 as his favourite goal for Leverkusen and picked PSG’s Ousmane Dembele as his favourite shirt swap and the first ‘really famous’ person to follow him on Instagram.

If things continue progressing, then we’ll certainly learn more about Wirtz in the coming weeks and months. In the meantime, just don’t call him Flori!