Bayern Munich has taken its missed opportunity to sign Florian Wirtz to Liverpool badly. As the dominant force in the Bundesliga, the German giant is accustomed to securing its top transfer targets.
However, Wirtz was swayed by the vision presented by Arne Slot and Richard Hughes, opting to join Liverpool in a deal that could potentially break the British record at $159 million. The 22-year-old is one of three major signings made by the Reds so far this summer, along with Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez.
Bayern have since shifted their attention to 23-year-old Germany Under-21 forward Nick Woltemade, reportedly reaching a verbal agreement with the Stuttgart player.
But with a potential price tag of between $93-121M, Bayern's sporting director, Max Eberl, acknowledges that the club must negotiate with Stuttgart to find a more acceptable fee.
This led Bayern legend Lothar Matthaus to suggest that Bayern's $69M valuation of Woltemade was "too low", prompting Bayern's president to claim that the former Germany midfielder had "lost his mind".
He stated: "Lothar Matthäus has clearly lost his mind. I've been fed up with these so-called experts for some time. With remarks like these, Matthäus is putting pressure, especially on Stuttgart. Ultimately, the club will look like the loser if the transfer fee comes in lower."
Florian Wirtz during his medical at Liverpool
Florian Wirtz during his medical at Liverpool (Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Matthaus fired back at Hoeness, saying he "lives in his own world" and citing the fee Liverpool paid for Wirtz as evidence supporting his argument about Bayern's stance on Woltemade.
Speaking to Bild, he said: "First of all, I have to say that I'm used to Uli Hoeness' insults and I don't take them seriously anymore. He's been doing that for 20, 25 years. I don't let it get to me; that makes you thick-skinned. Uli Hoeness still lives in his own world and still hasn't understood that not only football, but also the business has evolved. I'm aware of what's going on in the market. I mentioned €80-100m as a possible price [for Woltemade], but Uli Hoeness apparently didn't read it up properly again.
"He's only interested in attacking other people to distract from his own mistakes. I know the market, both domestically and internationally. And I still believe this assessment is correct. Gittens cost around €60 million and isn't even an international player, and he's also had a worse season [than Woltemade]. I predicted for Florian Wirtz many months ago that the total package would amount to €250m – and that's what happened. These simply are the numbers nowadays.
Lothar Matthäus TV Expert looks on
German football legend Lothar Matthaus (Image: Jurgen Fromme - firo sportphoto/Getty Images)
"At FC Bayern, things are only seen from one side. When I think of Jamal Musiala: Bayern would want much more for him than, for example, Wirtz cost. Bayern would want €180m. So why can't Wirtz cost €150m or Woltemade €80-100m?
"Uli Hoeness lives in his own world. He may no longer be up to date with the transfer market. Bayern Munich wants a player who now has that market. As a reminder: FC Bayern already spent €80m on Lucas Hernández in 2019.
"Hoeness should investigate internally: Why didn't FC Bayern and their scouts discover Woltemade earlier, why did they only become aware of him now?
"With Woltemade, the VfB management did a much better job. Instead, FC Bayern brought in Joao Palhinha for €50m, who has so far only been a backup player, barely playing even in unimportant games. These are the problems Hoeneß should be addressing."
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Indeed, Matthaus is clearly a big fan of Wirtz and was surprised that the 22-year-old chose to leave the Bundesliga this summer, but he has backed the forward to have a big impact in the Premier League.
"Personally, I also thought Florian would want to stay in Germany for the next few years. He's taking on a big challenge. It's not just a new club: it's a new mentality, a new language," Matthaus told BILD.
"But this step also shows that he's not afraid. Florian Wirtz believes in himself 100 per cent – and rightly so: I have absolute confidence in him that he'll make it at Liverpool and in the Premier League.
"He doesn't have to hide from anyone. A year before the World Cup, the move is also a risk, a leap into the unknown – but his friends and family will certainly support him very well."
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can read the original story in the Liverpool ECHO by clicking here.