Florian Wirtz chose Liverpool over Bayern Munich, Man City and Real Madrid last summer, but one agent is still pushing his “dream” of a move to the Bernabeu.
Wirtz had the opportunity to join a number of elite clubs when the time came to leave Bayer Leverkusen, and the Germany playmaker opted for Liverpool.
The pressure of a £116 million transfer has made the transition to Premier League football more difficult, but the 22-year-old has now established himself as a key player in Arne Slot‘s side and begun to hit top-level form.
But while Wirtz is primed to take up a central role in Liverpool’s success in years to come, agent Volker Struth has revealed his attempts to push him to Real Madrid.
‘I called Xabi Alonso and Florentino Perez to sell Florian Wirtz to Real Madrid’
Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso and Florian Wirtz at Leverkusen (Liam McBurney/PA)
This included calls to president Florentino Perez and then-manager Xabi Alonso, but in an interview with the Phrasenmaher podcast, Struth insisted he was still hoping to oversee Wirtz’s switch in the future.
“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’,” he said, per BILD.
“Xabi replied: ‘You don’t have to tell me that, you have to tell 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’.”
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, January 31, 2026: Liverpool's Florian Wirtz (R) celebrates with team-mate Mohamed Salah after scoring the third goal during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Newcastle United FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Struth added: “That year, it simply wasn’t the right time due to the squad and the budget. Even Real Madrid‘s coffers aren’t always overflowing.
“But my wish remains that Florian will play there one day.”
These are sensational quotes and reveal the questionable landscape behind elite football transfers, though it should be stressed that Wirtz is represented by his parents, Hans-Joachim and Karin, and not Struth himself.
Struth typically acts as an advisor and it is not uncommon for such parties to serve as intermediaries between players and clubs before any deals are formally discussed.
Florian Wirtz to Liverpool: Transfer Fee & Wages
Transfer Fee £100 million
Add-Ons £16 million
Contract Expires 2030
Wages £195,000 per week
Wirtz signed a five-year contract with Liverpool, tying him to Anfield until at least 2030, and there is no indication he is considering a move away any time soon.
“Florian consciously took a step to become an even better footballer and he doesn’t regret it in the slightest,” Wirtz’s father told the Kolner Stadt-Anzeiger in November.
“He’s doing well in Liverpool, he looks forward to every training session, and he’s settled into the team. We’re 100 percent satisfied with how things are going so far.”