Bayern Munich have not forgiven Liverpool for cutting into their negotiations with Florian Wirtz and snatching him away last summer.
The Reds surprisingly beat Bayern to the signing of the German gem, putting down a whopping £116m to pluck him from Bayer Leverkusen.
Wirtz may have had an up and down time at Liverpool since then, but with the Reds now said to be keen on signing Michael Olise, journalist Fabrizio Romano says Bayern are yet to move past the frustration of missing out on their top target from last year.
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Bayern still annoyed with Liverpool over Wirtz
Having been shining at Leverkusen for years, there had been a feeling of inevitability that Wirtz would end up at Bayern when he left the BayArena.
This is seemingly in part why the 22-year-old decided to forge his own path, move out of his comfort zone and join Liverpool.
While that was great news for the Reds, it did unfortunately sour their relations with Bayern, something which could prove crucial as they reportedly target a move for Olise. Former president Uli Hoeness had plenty to about the matter earlier this week, with Romano relaying his comments and adding some extra insight over Bayern’s current feelings on Liverpool.
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Florian Wirtz celebrates goal for Liverpool vs Newcastle
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“Uli Hoeness was also replying to the Liverpool links [for Olise] and he said Liverpool spent 500 million euros last summer on new signings and they’re having a bad season. So we don’t want to contribute to Liverpool’s success,” Romano told his YouTube channel.
“So, strong message. Let me say Bayern are still not so happy with how behind the scenes Liverpool got Florian Wirtz, when Bayern were negotiating to get him.”
Analysis: Bayern have no reason to be upset
If Bayern are to be upset with anyone in this story, then it should be with Wirtz and his camp, not Liverpool.
Back in reality, though, the player himself has every right to choose wherever he wants to play, no club has a divine right to the signature of any player. So, perhaps Bayern should look inwards at why he did not want to play for them instead of blaming everyone else.
Which players should Liverpool target to replace Mohamed Salah this summer? 🤔
A seven-man shortlist has already been reported:
Desire Doue
Bradley Barcola
Nico Williams
Yan Diomande
Anthony Gordon
Jarrod Bowen
Michael Olise
Mohamed Salah warms up ahead of Liverpool's Premier League match against West Ham United at the London Stadium
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Hoeness is notoriously bullish, and it was no surprise to hear him talk fairly disparagingly about Liverpool. But the Reds will know that they simply outmanoeuvred their German rivals in the market.
That will be harder to do this year when it comes to Olise. Bayern appear determined to keep the Frenchman, and even if they did want to let him leave, it seems Liverpool would be the last club they would sanction a sale to.
Instead, the Reds are likely to have to aim for other targets, and may have to cross Bayern off their Christmas card list in the meantime.
With the clubs doing deals for Thiago, Sadio Mane and Luis Diaz over recent years, it is a shame that Liverpool pinching a player completely above board has thrown them into a hissy fit, but Wirtz is simply that good.
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