Florian Wirtz’s Liverpool future has been a key point of discussion in recent days, and now journalist Christian Falk has made a big claim about the situation.
The 23-year-old has again underwhelmed so far this season, with supporters growing frustrated that he hasn’t kicked on in his second year at Anfield.
Wirtz was particularly poor in last Sunday’s 1-0 win away to Bournemouth, and Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher didn’t hold back in his criticism of him:
“I think going forward he’s got a decision to make Iraola. I mean Wirtz wouldn’t be in my Liverpool team. He wouldn’t. When I actually go through the Premier League, I was thinking about this on the way because I thought it was a big game for Wirtz because I thought if he doesn’t produce today, he’s going to have a three week break”
In a post for CF Bayern Insider [via Empire of the Kop], Falk said that Liverpool don’t appear to be planning to part ways with Wirtz, also playing down a January move to Bayern Munich:
“It is?NOT TRUE [that] Bayern Munich would go in for a player like Florian Wirtz in January. He’s too expensive! At Liverpool, he may not yet be performing like he was with Bayer Leverkusen, but I think he’s improving. It takes time with a new team.
“I also haven’t heard anything from the Liverpool side indicating that they’d be prepared to sell him this winter. Of course, that doesn’t stop there being a lot of rumours around his situation regardless.
“As far as Bayern Munich are concerned, as I’ve already mentioned, there’s nothing concrete. We have to look at the situation of Michael Olise – is he signing a new contract next summer? If not and he has to be sold, then Wirtz would be one of the first options Bayern Munich would look into. However, there are no talks, no deals, and I remain convinced that Florian Wirtz will have a good season for Liverpool.”
Liverpool should NOT sell Florian Wirtz in 2027
Some of the reaction to Wirtz’s performance against Bournemouth has been predictably hyperbolic, with the German poor on the day, which can happen to any footballer.
There is no question that he has to improve, but when things settle under Andoni Iraola, and more balance arrives in the team, there is every chance that he will flourish.
Wirtz is rated as one of Europe’s most gifted attacking players for a reason – he won back-to-back Bundesliga Player of the Year awards – with Andy Robertson speaking highly about his quality this week:
“I see a really special footballer. But I know he’s got to prove he can do it in the Premier League because there’s so many special footballers that have come and sometimes not done it.”
There is room for a middle ground with Wirtz, in terms of expecting more but also realising there are reasons for his patchy form, and there is still every chance that he becomes a success story at Liverpool.
Being away on international duty with Germany and working with Jurgen Klopp may have come at a perfect time, allowing him to pick up plenty of advice and confidence.