Florian Wirtz has opened up about why he joined Liverpool instead of Bayern Munich in the summer transfer window.
Bayern Munich initially agreed on a transfer to sign Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen on a big-money deal before Liverpool entered the scene.
The Reds secured his signature for a club record £116m, after Bayer rejected their opening bid.
What exactly happened in Wirtz’s transfer scenario?
Florian Wirtz training ahead of Crystal Palace game
(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Back in June, we reported that Bayern held a secret meeting with Wirtz to convince him to join them over Liverpool.
The German giants were ready to break their bank for him, and they did everything possible to get him on board.
At one point, Bayern were absolutely convinced that the player would choose them over the Reds, but to their surprise, the German international made it clear that he wants to join Liverpool.
Once Bayern moved out of the race, Liverpool negotiated a deal with Leverkusen, and they secured the signing of the 22-year-old, who is seen as one of the finest young talents in world football at the moment.
It was suggested that Arne Slot managed to convince him with his presentations, and Wirtz has admitted that the Dutchman won him over.
What Wirtz has said about rejecting Bayern Munich
The Liverpool attacker was promised that he would get the number 10 role. At Bayern, Jamal Musiala plays in that role, and probably Wirtz wasn’t sure how he would fit prominently in Vincent Kompany’s plans.
Here’s the transcript of the interview with Kicker, as relayed by @iMiaSanMia.
• Did you decide to move abroad because it was more challenging and more attractive for your personal development than a move to FC Bayern?
Florian Wirtz: “I’ve spent my entire life in the Köln region, with my parents and my inner circle. Therefore, it’s a more difficult step to leave that whole environment and move to another country with all the changes. And to a new league with a different style of play. Therefore, I would definitely say it’s a bigger challenge, one I consciously chose to overcome and become a better player.”
• Publicly, it’s said that the coaching talks with Arne Slot and Vincent Kompany were decisive. How did Slot convince you?
Wirtz: “The discussions with Arne were very, very good from the very beginning. He won me over from the very first meeting. He gave me clear ideas and a clear vision of how he could and wanted to use me in his team. This, combined with the structure of the team, really convinced me. He saw me In the number 10 position—where I play best. I was brought in for that position because they trusted me to make the team better. And I’m trying to live up to that as best as I can”
• Would that have been different with Jamal Musiala at Bayern?
Wirtz: “You can’t tell. I don’t know exactly how things would have turned out.”
• Was the decision between Liverpool and Bayern the most difficult of your life so far?
Wirtz: “I always felt I could do what I wanted to do. And that’s why I didn’t put any pressure on myself to make a quick decision. I’d already thought about both clubs very intensively, and in the end, it wasn’t an easy decision. But I made it with 100% conviction, and I’m happy about it.”
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