Liverpool Firm on Florian Wirtz Amid Bayern Rumors
Liverpool are standing firm on Florian Wirtz and have no intention of cashing in to Bayern Munich any time soon, despite growing noise around the German’s future and his stuttering start at Anfield.
The 22-year-old arrived in the summer of 2025 as the jewel in a lavish recruitment drive. Fresh from a Premier League title, Liverpool spent over £400m reshaping the squad, and Wirtz was the headline act: £116m wired to Bayer Leverkusen for the playmaker who had just driven them to the Bundesliga crown in 2024/25.
On paper, it looked like a perfect fit. On the pitch, it has been anything but straightforward.
Wirtz has produced moments that remind everyone why Liverpool fought so hard to get him – flashes of vision, tight-space wizardry, the odd game where he runs the show. But those bursts have been surrounded by long spells where he has struggled to impose himself, and the patience of some observers is starting to fray.
Paul Merson has already gone public with his doubts. Speaking on Sky Sports, he didn’t hide his frustration.
“I don’t know how long they can wait on Florian Wirtz. I’m a big fan of him, I think he’s a special player,” Merson said. “But it isn’t working; it just isn’t working. I don’t know how long they can wait.”
As those comments bounced around, the rumours rolled in. Reports in Germany suggested Bayern Munich were circling, ready to pounce if Liverpool decided to cut their losses and send Wirtz back to the Bundesliga.
Inside Anfield, the message is very different.
Liverpool still backing their £116m man
Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke has poured cold water on the idea that Liverpool are preparing an exit route for Wirtz.
“They’re still relying on him,” O’Rourke told Football Insider. “I don’t think there are any plans on Liverpool’s end to offload Florian Wirtz anytime soon. I don’t think they’re ready to write him off just yet.”
That stance has been strengthened by signs of life on the biggest stage. Wirtz impressed in Liverpool’s Champions League win over Atletico Madrid earlier this month, a performance that reminded the club why they invested so heavily.
“He was very impressive in that Champions League win against Atletico Madrid earlier this month as well,” O’Rourke added. “So look, it’s up to Andoni Iraola to find the best position for him in the team and try and get the best out of Florian Wirtz.”
That line is crucial. Wirtz is no longer the centrepiece of Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen machine; he is trying to carve out a role in Iraola’s evolving Liverpool, in a different league, under a different tactical demand. The expectation, though, remains the same: deliver, and deliver quickly.
Bayern links dismissed – for now
In Germany, the Bayern angle has been addressed head-on. Sport Bild journalist Christian Falk has strongly denied talk of an imminent move.
Falk told CF Bayern Insider: “It is NOT TRUE: Bayern Munich are tracking Florian Wirtz and could make a shock move for the Liverpool player. My information is that this is not true.”
The links are not plucked from thin air. Bayern and Wirtz have history.
“Of course, there is a big history between FC Bayern and Wirtz,” Falk explained. “There were two secret meetings before he decided on Liverpool: the first one in Munich and then in Liverpool as well. At the time, Arne Slot persuaded the German international to switch to Merseyside.”
Those meetings and that tug-of-war mean the rumours will never be far away, especially when questions are raised about his form in England. But Falk is not buying the idea that Wirtz is failing.
“To be clear, I don’t necessarily share those concerns; I think Wirtz is performing better than he did last year. He has a new position in the team,” he said.
The Bayern picture is complicated further by Jamal Musiala’s situation. The Germany star is still working his way back to peak level after illness and last season’s injury issues, another factor that fuels speculation about attacking midfield reshuffles in Munich.
The Olise twist and swap-deal talk
Then comes the more intriguing layer: Michael Olise.
Falk does not see an active Bayern move for Wirtz right now, but he does not dismiss the possibility that the Liverpool man could one day be part of a bigger transfer puzzle involving Olise.
“So, you can see where some reports have taken these conditions and claimed that one plus one equals two,” Falk said. “Of course, if Florian Wirtz were, at some point in future, interested in making a return to the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich would be the first team he’d talk to. However, there is nothing planned.”
Bayern’s current squad depth and tactical experiment under Vincent Kompany shape that outlook.
“Bayern have a big squad and everyone’s feeling really confident. Musiala has a long contract and don’t forget that Vincent Kompany is trying a new system with Michael Olise as the fulcrum in the centre – the same position he currently plays in for the French national team,” Falk noted. “So, FC Bayern have a lot of options. Don’t forget, either, that it was a lot of money Liverpool paid for Wirtz.”
The idea of a future swap, or at least a chain of moves involving Olise and Wirtz, still lingers in the background.
“Everyone is hoping the former Crystal Palace star signs a new contract, but if not, and he decides for a transfer, of course Florian Wirtz would be a player who’s interesting for Bayern Munich,” Falk said.
“The German can play on the side or centrally. This would be a very interesting thing, and if you make a swap deal with Liverpool or sell Olise for a lot of money to Real Madrid, you have the money to make an offer for Wirtz.
“So, there are many, many positions which have to be discussed. I wouldn’t say it’s not true that Bayern Munich would have thought of that.”
For now, though, it is theory, not negotiation. Liverpool are not putting Wirtz in the shop window, Bayern are not at the table, and the player is still trying to prove that £116m was an investment, not an indulgence.
The question hangs over Anfield: does Wirtz grow into the role Liverpool built for him, or does this slow-burning saga eventually drag him back towards Bavaria?
