close
Florian Wirtz has dismissed rumors suggesting he is demanding the No. 10 shirt number at Liverpool should he complete a move from Bayer Leverkusen to the Merseyside club. The highly-rated German international has been linked with a transfer to Anfield over the past couple of months, but as of now, no formal agreement has been reached between the two clubs.
On Monday (May 2), Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg reported that Florian Wirtz would like to wear the number 10 at Liverpool if he joins the club, the same number he currently wears at Bayer Leverkusen. Argentine midfielder Alexis Mac Allister currently holds the iconic number for the Reds..
Wirtz, evidently frustrated by the mounting media speculation, took to Instagram to publicly respond to the rumors. In a post shared via his Instagram Story, the 22-year-old midfielder wrote:
“Who says I want the 10. I respect players. Don’t believe everything what’s written,” followed by a clown face emoji.
Florian Wirtz's Instagram story" srcset="https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/06/ebcf0-17489818586259-1920.jpg?w=190 190w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/06/ebcf0-17489818586259-1920.jpg?w=720 720w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/06/ebcf0-17489818586259-1920.jpg?w=640 640w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/06/ebcf0-17489818586259-1920.jpg?w=1045 1045w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/06/ebcf0-17489818586259-1920.jpg?w=1200 1200w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/06/ebcf0-17489818586259-1920.jpg?w=1460 1460w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/06/ebcf0-17489818586259-1920.jpg?w=1600 1600w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/06/ebcf0-17489818586259-1920.jpg 1920w">
Florian Wirtz's Instagram story
Mac Allister has been wearing the number 10 jersey at Liverpool since the start of the 2023/24 season. The number has previously been donned by Michael Owen, Joe Cole, and Philippe Coutinho. Sadio Mane was the last player to wear it before it was handed over to Mac Allister.
Recent reports have claimed that the Reds have had their bid for Florian Wirtz rejected twice, as their offers do not meet Bayer Leverkusen’s asking price for their player.
"I just hope that he is allowed to settle in" – Liverpool offered Florian Wirtz transfer advice
Amid rumors of Liverpool’s potential signing of Florian Wirtz, Stan Collymore issued a warning to his former club regarding the acquisition of a big-name player like the German international. Collymore claimed it is unusual for the Reds to sign a high-profile player and expressed skepticism about the signing turning out to be beneficial for the club.
He said (via Tribal Football):
"The slight discomfort from me, having been a big Liverpool signing, is that Liverpool traditionally have made players. People will say 'look at how much they have spent in the last 20 years', and I get it, but with players that have lots of room to develop
"Don't get me wrong, Florian Wirtz has got a lot of room to develop, which in itself is a very exciting prospect, but they haven't gone down the road that Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City have gone down — big, blockbuster signings.
"The last time it happened was Alberto Aquilani when there were banners on The Kop before he had even played a game. It feels a little bit like that in terms of it being 'wow'.
He added:
"This was a guy who was going to go to Bayern Munich, or if not Bayern Munich then Real Madrid or Manchester City, for example. So from a Liverpool perspective, it is kind of like saying 'we are here now and we want to maintain our position and fire a warning shot across the bows of Europe's best clubs, to attack the Champions League'.
"I hope — because Liverpool are so used to developing players and making them into superstars — that having someone coming in as a superstar, they can manage that carefully and not let it become about the cult of Florian Wirtz. I just hope that he is allowed to settle in and just be one of the lads, where there is a seamless transition on the pitch."
Wirtz played a key role in Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen team that won a historic double in the 2023/24 campaign.
Why did you not like this content?
Cancel Submit
Was this article helpful?
like selected
avatar selected
Thank You for feedback
About the author
![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,
Ezekiel Olamide
Ezekiel is a European football journalist who covers breaking news and transfer rumors at Sportskeeda. He is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Accounting and has a work experience of around 3 years, having previously worked at the likes of Opera News Hub and Extratime Talk. He is a proponent of factual accuracy, meticulous research, verification of sources and journalistic ethics and standards.
An ardent Chelsea fan, Ezekiel's journey as a football fan began in his childhood, witnessing Ronaldinho dazzle with his skills. His interest in the beautiful game deepened after Nigeria were knocked out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup; he was impressed with the Super Eagles' fighting spirit in their 2-2 Group B draw against South Korea. Some other World Cup matches which have left a deep impact on him were Belgium's incredible comeback against Japan in the round of 16 of the 2018 version and the 2022 final.
Lionel Messi is the one true GOAT for Ezekiel and he also follows the Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League owing to him and Cristiano Ronaldo. When not writing, he spends his free time deepening his SEO knowledge and watching skits.
Know More
More from Sportskeeda
Edited by Vaishnavi Iyer