Florian Wirtz's Liverpool Struggles Amid Bayern Interest
Florian Wirtz arrived at Anfield as a statement. A £116m signing, a former Bayer Leverkusen talisman, and at the time a British record transfer before Alexander Isak nudged him aside in the fee charts. Liverpool weren’t just buying a player; they were buying the numbers, the aura, the idea of one of Europe’s most devastating playmakers.
At Leverkusen, Wirtz had been a machine: 57 goals and 65 assists in 197 games. One hundred and twenty-two goal contributions. A highlight reel wrapped inside a data set. The Premier League was supposed to be the next step, not a stumbling block.
So far, it has not played out that way.
A superstar stuck in second gear
Wirtz has shown flashes in a Liverpool shirt, the odd threaded pass, a clever turn in tight spaces, a reminder of why the club pushed so hard to beat Bayern Munich to his signature last summer. But flashes are not what you pay £116m for.
Across 55 appearances for Liverpool, the German has produced seven goals and 11 assists. Respectable, but not transformative. One direct goal contribution just over every three games – a clear drop from his relentless Bundesliga output.
That gap between expectation and reality has opened the door to criticism. Jamie Carragher has been one of the most vocal, arguing that what Wirtz is showing now might simply be his level at Anfield – and that level, in Carragher’s eyes, does not justify a guaranteed place in the starting XI.
Gary Neville has gone even harder, saying Wirtz “needs a rocket up him” after an anonymous display on the opening weekend of the season. For a player signed to be the creative heartbeat of Liverpool’s new era, that kind of language stings.
Inside the dressing room, some have pointed to context. The German has been accused of trying too hard to impress, with three “scared” teammates blamed for not offering enough support or movement around him. That doesn’t change the numbers, though. It just adds another layer to a complicated picture.
Bayern lurking, Wirtz tempted
All of that has fuelled the inevitable storyline: Bayern Munich, watching from a distance, still interested, still waiting.
Bayern wanted Wirtz before he chose Liverpool. That admiration has not disappeared. According to sources, the Bundesliga champions remain firmly in the frame and are monitoring the situation closely, aware that the pressure around the player could turn into opportunity if this season does not ignite.
Now, a source has told Football Insider that Wirtz would be keen to go if a concrete chance to join Vincent Kompany’s side appears.
“The main problem for Wirtz is that he has seemingly struggled to adapt to the Premier League,” the source said. “He hasn’t got to grips with the physicality or the tempo of things; that’s why most of his better performances for Liverpool have been in European competitions.”
From that vantage point, a return to Germany makes sense. Back to a league he knows, back to a rhythm that once made him one of the most feared creators on the continent.
“He could go back to a league where he is familiar, he knows he can play at a high level, and they know he can perform at his best,” the source added. “I’m sure, if an offer was to come in, then he’d want to join Bayern Munich because he would be a much better fit for the way they play.”
It is a compelling narrative: the prodigal playmaker, misfiring in England, restored to his old brilliance in Bavaria.
Liverpool’s stance: not for sale, not yet
Liverpool see it differently.
Despite the noise around Wirtz’s future, club sources have made it clear to TEAMtalk that the Reds have no plans to entertain his exit. There is no active attempt to sell. No internal decision to cut their losses. No green light for Bayern.
Yes, there are voices within the club who quietly question whether Wirtz will ever hit the extraordinary heights that were projected when he signed. That debate exists. But it has not hardened into a verdict.
Instead, the expectation is that Andoni Iraola will be given this season to work with Wirtz and mould him into a cornerstone of Liverpool’s new project. The club hierarchy still believe there is a top-level player there, one worth the patience, one worth the tactical tweaks and growing pains.
The numbers, as underwhelming as they may look against his Leverkusen peak, also need a little context. Across his first 55 games, Wirtz’s output actually eclipses that of Martin Odegaard’s first 55 outings for Arsenal. The Norwegian, now seen as a model Premier League playmaker, did not explode immediately either.
Liverpool are banking on a similar trajectory. That Wirtz will adjust to the speed, the hits, the relentlessness of English football. That his touch and vision will start to bend games his way rather than drift through them.
A season that will define the next move
For now, the situation is finely balanced.
On one side, a player who has not fully settled, who knows there is a league and a club back home that suit his style, and who, according to those close to him, would welcome the chance to join Bayern if the door opens.
On the other, a club that invested heavily, still believes in the talent, and is not ready to admit defeat after one difficult campaign.
Bayern will keep watching. They know that if Wirtz again falls short of Liverpool’s expectations this season, the conversation changes. Pressure from outside, doubts from inside, and a player who might feel his best football lies elsewhere – that is when situations become “interesting” for a club like Bayern.
For Wirtz, this is the hinge point. Either he grows into the role Liverpool built for him and silences the Carraghers and Nevilles, or the murmurs about a return to Germany turn into something far louder.
One way or another, this season will decide whether Anfield becomes his long-term stage or just a costly stop on the road to Munich.
