Liverpool’s £116 Million Wirtz Deal so Big It's on Bayer AG's Balance Sheet

Bayer AG won an unexpected boost this summer: the high-profile transfer of football star Florian Wirtz to Liverpool Football Club for a reported £116 million ($154 million).

Ordinarily, Bayer’s ownership of the Bayer 04 Leverkusen football team doesn’t factor much into its financial results. But that was a bright spot in the second-quarter earnings published Wednesday amid challenges the German conglomerate faces with its traditional business.