Image for European giants now believe they have a great chance of signing “world-class” Liverpool star
Image for European giants now believe they have a great chance of signing “world-class” Liverpool star
Speculation continues to surround Florian Wirtz’s future at Liverpool, with a new claim now emerging about Bayern Munich’s hopes of signing him.
The 23-year-old attacker is one of the most talked-about players at the moment, with Jamie Carragher recently vocal about him deserving to be dropped:
“Koumas and Munoz were better than the two £100m players. Now that can’t be right. It’s just not right. And it wasn’t even a decision to make for anyone who was in this stadium today who was coming off for Liverpool when they went down to 10 men (Wirtz was substituted).
“There’s got to be a rejig of the midfield because what Florian Wirtz is giving Liverpool right now is nowhere near enough. People were critical of me for being critical after the Bournemouth game. He’s played 55–60 games for Liverpool. He shouldn’t be in the Liverpool team right now.”
Thankfully, however, Wirtz produced an impressive performance in Wednesday’s 6-3 win away to LASK in the Champions League, providing two assists and being praised by Andoni Iraola:
“I think he was amazing in possession. I think he had lively passes, good assists, he helped us to control the game. Especially in the first half where he was roaming around and finding good spots. It was a good game from Florian.”
Now, TEAMtalk report that Bayern are still “maintaining close tabs” on Wirtz ahead of a potential move for him in 2027, with the German giants believing “he would be open to a return to the Bundesliga.”
The update goes on to add that “sources indicate that the ongoing difficulties have led to growing internal discussions at Bayern about the realistic prospects of bringing him back to Germany”, with club officials “assessing squad balance, wage structures and the financial commitment required, given the size of the fee Liverpool paid.”
Liverpool shouldn’t give up on Florian Wirtz too soon
Even Wirtz’s biggest fan would have to accept that he has underwhelmed at Liverpool, with the Germany international rarely justifying his £116m price tag.
But he showed against LASK what a superb technical player he is, with Steven Gerrard calling him “world-class” earlier this year, and then saying this week:
“I’m not denying that he’s underperforming and that we should have seen an awful lot more in terms of the price tag and what have you, but I just think that there’s a chance, and it’s happened previously, where players can turn it round. I think he’s got the talent to turn it round.
“His confidence is shot at Liverpool at the moment. You can see it when you watch him live. He’s giving the ball away, simple balls that he wouldn’t give away. I think at times he’s maybe not shown [for the ball] when normally he’s full of confidence.”
This feels like a huge few months for Wirtz, who must go up a gear and perform as well in the Premier League as he does in Europe, but Liverpool shouldn’t be looking to sell him for now.
He is an elite footballer who Iraola will surely be desperate to get the best out of, and it’s now a case of him reaching his potential, and the team being built around him.