Bayern Munich sporting director Max Eberl has claimed that the Bundesliga champion couldn't afford to pay what Liverpool will end up committing to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen this summer.
Eberl wanted to bring Wirtz in from Bayern Munich's closest competitor in the German top flight this season, but the player opted to join Liverpool instead. Manchester City was also keen at one stage but has long since dropped out of the race.
"If I'm honest, I don't know if we could have paid what Liverpool are apparently paying now," Eberl said, speaking to Sky Germany. "Florian Wirtz is an outstanding player. We could have imagined signing him. But when a door closes, another opens."
Liverpool has offered a fixed sum of $136 million (£100 million) with negotiations over add-ons ongoing. Wirtz is expected to become a Reds player with talk in Germany that a medical has already been arranged.
But while Bayern Munich attempts to play down that it has missed out on such a huge talent, the reality is that Wirtz was never going to come cheaply. It was widespread knowledge for some time that he would cost well north of $100M.
Even at that price, there is an argument that Wirtz will become good value. In Germany, he is already viewed as one of the top five or top 10 players in the world.
Florian Wirtz of Germany runs with a ball during the UEFA Nations League 2025 third place match between Germany and France at Stuttgart Arena on June 08, 2025 in Stuttgart, Germany
Florian Wirtz of Germany runs with a ball during the UEFA Nations League 2025 third place match between Germany and France at Stuttgart Arena on June 08, 2025 in Stuttgart, Germany (Image: Stefan Matzke - sampics/Getty Images)
"What a player, what a player!" former Premier League goalkeeper Paul Robinson said on Ben Foster's podcast. "The way the market is going, the prices that players are being bought for is ridiculous. He would be in the £150M bracket if you're looking at that type of player with how creative it is."
"When you look at a player, in general, you gravitate to players who you have already seen wear the red shirt, and for me, he looks a bit like Philippe Coutinho — those pockets he can pick up and how he can turn," former Reds striker Emile Heskey told Liverpool.com recently.
"He scores exciting goals — not just tap-ins — and that is what you want. It is fantastic for the club and for the supporters as well.
"He could play as a 10 or as a false nine, and we have seen teams do that before. Liverpool have got wingers who stay very high and wide, which is great as well.
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"Someone like Wirtz can give you something different, but it is horses for courses as well. You might need someone to draw defenders out, and then you don't need a number nine who sits on the last defender.
"You need players who make defenders think, 'Do I really want to go in there and mark him?'. Another number 10 would be helpful, and in that free role where he can pick up the ball, he seems very comfortable.
"It's brilliant that Liverpool can do business at £100M-plus. A lot of the time, clubs do business when it gets towards the end of the transfer window and everyone is flapping, but they have done their business, rather than getting into a full-on battle."