Under-fire Liverpool star Florian Wirtz “would be keen” on sealing a return to the Bundesliga and joining Bayern Munich, according to former scout Mick Brown.
The German threw in another disappointing performance in the Reds’ 1-0 win at Bournemouth on Sunday, losing possession endlessly, particularly in the first half.
Patience is now beginning to wear thin with Wirtz among Liverpool fans, having given him plenty of leeway last season, and he has struggled badly to cope with the pace and power of the Premier League.
Speaking to Football Insider, Brown talked up the idea of the 23-year-old heading back to his homeland and joining Bayern, which may be a controversial move with Bayer Leverkusen fans:
“The main problem for Wirtz. Is he has seemingly struggled to adapt to the Premier League. He hasn’t got to grips with the physicality or the tempo of things, that’s why most of his better performances for Liverpool have been in European competitions.
“It’s a difficult situation for them to be in because of the money they spent on him, but from the player’s point of view, it wouldn’t surprise me to see him go back to Germany. I’m sure, if an offer was to come in, then he’d want to join Bayern Munich because he would be a much better fit for the way they play.
“He could go back to a league where he is familiar, he knows he can play at a high level, and they know he can perform at his best. So as I say, from the player’s point of view, it’s something that I’m sure he would be keen to do because it makes a lot of sense, even if it might be difficult for Liverpool.”
Liverpool need Jurgen Klopp to work his magic with Florian Wirtz
The international break has come at a good time for Wirtz, taking him out of the firing line and allowing him to link up with Jurgen Klopp with Germany.
Liverpool could badly do with their legendary former manager instilling confidence in him over the next few weeks, with the attacking midfielder not performing like the “world-class” footballer Steven Gerrard described him as earlier this year.
Watching Wirtz is so frustrating, considering the obvious talent he has, but a lack of substance is coming to the fore far too often at this point, leading to Jamie Carragher saying this about him on Sunday:
*“That was one of the poorest I’ve ever seen him in a Liverpool shirt. I’ve been critical of the fact that he hasn’t got the numbers. But normally when you watch Wirtz, he’s neat and tidy, he keeps possession, there’s things that you like. He gets out of a tight situation where you’re normally expecting your player to lose the ball.*”
Liverpool need Wirtz to return from the international break as a different player, in terms of confidence and influence, or rumours of a switch to Bayern will only grow louder.
One below-par season was understandable, especially as he was in a struggling Reds team under Arne Slot, but now is the time to justify that £116m price tag.