Liverpool Insists Florian Wirtz Will Stay Amid Bayern Rumors
Liverpool have no intention of cashing in on Florian Wirtz or sending him back to Germany, despite growing scrutiny over his form and renewed links with Bayern Munich.
The Germany international arrived at Anfield in the summer of 2025 as the crown jewel of a lavish rebuild. Fresh from a Premier League title, Liverpool spent over £400m on new faces, with Wirtz the headline act after a £116m deal with Bayer Leverkusen. He had been the standout figure in Leverkusen’s Bundesliga-winning side of 2024/25, a creative force who looked built for the very top.
The script since then has not followed the hype.
Wirtz has produced flashes – moments where his touch, vision and movement have lit up games – but across his Liverpool spell he has struggled to impose himself consistently. The price tag hangs heavy. So does the expectation that he would instantly transform Liverpool’s attack.
Pundits have started to lose patience. Paul Merson, speaking on Sky Sports, did not hide his concern.
“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 questions over his impact grew, so did the rumours. Reports in Germany suggested Bayern Munich were circling, ready to exploit any uncertainty and bring Wirtz back to the Bundesliga.
Inside Liverpool, the mood is very different.
Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke insists the club hierarchy are not preparing an exit route. Far from it.
“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.
“He was very impressive in that Champions League win against Atletico Madrid earlier this month as well. 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 performance against Atletico matters. It gave Liverpool a glimpse of the player they thought they were buying – and offered Wirtz a reminder of what he can be on the biggest stage.
Back in Germany, the Bayern angle has been talked up, but one of the most plugged-in voices around the club has poured cold water on it.
Sport Bild journalist Christian Falk has dismissed claims that Bayern are actively tracking Wirtz with a view to a “shock 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.
“Of course, there is a big history between FC Bayern and Wirtz. 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. If there is such a connection, you’re always going to have rumours – even more so when there are concerns over his performance levels in England.
“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. On the other hand, you have an ongoing topic with Jamal Musiala, where he’s not in his best possible shape at the moment due to his illness following his injury struggles last year.”
So if Bayern are not currently moving for Wirtz, where does the noise come from?
A lot of it stems from the shifting pieces in Munich’s attack. Jamal Musiala’s fitness issues, Vincent Kompany’s tactical tweaks and the emergence of Michael Olise as a central figure have created an easy narrative: one star in flux, another under pressure in England, and a club with a long-standing admiration for both.
That is where the idea of a future swap deal surfaces.
Falk did not endorse any active negotiations, but he did acknowledge that the conditions exist for such a scenario to be discussed down the line, especially if Michael Olise’s future becomes uncertain.
“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 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. So, FC Bayern have a lot of options. Don’t forget, either, that it was a lot of money Liverpool paid for Wirtz.”
The financial reality matters. Liverpool committed a huge fee and a key role to Wirtz. Letting him go now, while his stock is lower than at Leverkusen, would be a major admission that the project has failed.
Still, the Olise factor lingers in the background. Bayern want to keep the former Crystal Palace winger, but his long-term future is not guaranteed.
On a potential swap scenario involving Wirtz and Olise, Falk said: “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.
“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, that remains hypothetical. At Anfield, the stance is clear: Wirtz stays, Wirtz plays, and Andoni Iraola must unlock the version that terrorised the Bundesliga.
The pressure is real. The exit door is not.
