Florian Wirtz was linked with the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Manchester City last summer before Liverpool swooped in and paid Bayer Leverkusen £116million
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 04: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Florian Wirtz of Liverpool breaks away from Eduardo Camavinga of Real Madrid during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD4 match between Liverpool FC and Real Madrid C.F. at Anfield on November 04, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
An agent wanted Florian Wirtz to join Real Madrid(Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
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German agent Volker Struth wants Liverpool star Florian Wirtz to play for Real Madrid one day after he failed to engineer a move last summer. Wirtz, 22, was one of Europe's most wanted players in 2025 after another impressive season at Bayer Leverkusen.
Alongside Real and Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Manchester City were also linked. Liverpool ultimately won the race, paying a £116million fee which at the time was a British record.
But Struth, one of Germany's leading agents who's worked with Wirtz, had initially planned on taking him to the Bernabeu alongside outgoing Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso. Struth revealed to Phrasenmaher: "During the period when a move to Liverpool or Bayern was being discussed, I called Xabi Alonso and told him: "You have to take the lad from Leverkusen with you to Real.
"Xabi replied, 'You don't have to tell me that, you have to tell (Real president) Florentino Perez'. So I actually sent him a message.
"'Dear Florentino, I've told you many times before: I have a player here whom I would highly recommend. Florian Wirtz makes every team in the world better'."
Perez, however, had other priorities. The chief wanted to strengthen Real's defence, so they signed Dean Huijsen, Alvaro Carreras and Trent Alexander-Arnold, as well as forward Franco Mastantuono, for a combined £140m.
"That year, it simply wasn't the right time due to the squad and the budget," Struth added. "Even Real Madrid's coffers aren't always overflowing. But my wish remains that Florian will play there one day."
How much influence Struth will have over Wirtz's future remains to be seen. The Germany international is directly represented by his father, Hans-Joachim, while Struth has previously been involved in the player's marketing.
WOLFSBURG, GERMANY - OCTOBER 21: Volker Struth and Sascha Riether talk together prior to the Bundesliga match between VfL Wolfsburg and Bayer 04 Leverkusen at Volkswagen Arena on October 21, 2023 in Wolfsburg, Germany. (Photo by Marco Steinbrenner/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
Volker Struth wanted Florian Wirtz to sign for Real Madrid in 2025(Image: Marco Steinbrenner/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
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Real Madrid's President Florentino Perez delivers a speech duirng traditional year-end holiday gathering of journalists and other guests at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on December 15, 2025. (Photo by Thomas COEX/AFP via Getty Images)
But Florentino Perez preferred to strengthen in other areas(Image: Thomas COEX/AFP via Getty Images)
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Wirtz has finally started to find his feet at Anfield, scoring six goals and providing three assists in his last 14 appearances. The 22-year-old was due to start Sunday's 1-0 win away to Nottingham Forest before he suffered an injury in the warm-up.
"We don't think it is very serious," Arne Slot said post-match. "He felt his back too much during the warm-up to start. He wasn't able to be 100 per cent or close to 100 per cent.
"I think after being in this league for six, seven or eight months that no matter how good you are on the ball, you need to be 100 per cent at this level. So we decided not to play him but hope and expect him to be with us next week."