The Reds could be involved in a blockbuster swap deal.
SV Elversberg v FC Bayern München - Bundesliga 2026/27
Michael Olise has a contract at Bayern Munich until 2029
Bayern Munich could look to take advantage of Florian Wirtz’s struggles at Liverpool by offering him an escape route to the Allianz Arena. But with wild internet speculation suggesting that a swap deal could see Wirtz join Bayern and Michael Olise head the other way, how realistic is that?
Olise has dazzled since joining the German giants in 2024, and has established himself as one of the best players in the world. But, there is a fear that the Frenchman could look to return to the Premier League, with Olise approaching the midpoint of his five-year contract.
His deal is set to run out at the end of the 2028/29 season, and while that is still some time away, Bayern are keen to futureproof themselves and extract as much value as they can if they are to reclutantly sell. Understandably, their priority is to tie Olise down to a new deal, but if for whatever reason the 24-year-old sees his future elsewhere, they might have to act in the transfer market.
According to BILD reporter Christian Falk, Bayern still admire Wirtz, not least because they aim to have as many top German talents as possible in the squad at once. And should Olise turn down any new contract proposals from Bayern, the club might be backed into a corner where they’re forced to cash in.
In that situation, Falk suggested Wirtz would be on Bayern’s radar as a replacement, which could strengthen Liverpool’s hand. However, Bayern’s only objective right now is to convince Olise that his future remains in Bavaria.
But even if Olise joining Liverpool is a possibility, there is no guarantee that Wirtz will still be of interest to Bayern next summer, given his mediocre Premier League performances so far. In five appearances this season, Wirtz has managed just one assist, with the ex-Bayer Leverkusen man continuing to come under fire.
Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page
Liverpool v Fulham - Premier League 2026/27
Florian Wirtz has once again come under fire for his performances (Image: Getty)
Andoni Iraola is having none of it though, with the Liverpool boss insisting Wirtz still has his full support. Speaking this month, Iraola remarked: "He played very well against Atletico Madrid.
"He helped us a lot, also he was very good on the ball and overall I was very happy with his performance. The game against Ipswich in the second half he lost more balls than normal but overall I have been very happy with his performances.
"He is a good player out of possession who helps us in our press. But he runs the same as the 10 of Arsenal, the 10 of (Manchester) City, the 10 of Fulham and more or less his stats are very similar to the number 10s other teams have.”
He added: "But that is why you cannot just play because of the numbers. Whether a striker scores a lot of goals or he doesn’t score a lot of goals, you have to look at the performances. Does he help us to play well? Yes.
"Well, someone will score the goals and someone will give the assists. It is not that because you had the last touch, you played better than the other person.
"I am not too focused about numbers. Nowadays everything is about numbers, everyone tells players you have to assist, you have to score goals. For me, you have to help us play well. Someone will score the goals if we are doing well collectively."