Liverpool's Commitment to Florian Wirtz Amid Bayern Munich Rumors
Liverpool have no intention of cashing in on Florian Wirtz or sending him back to Germany, despite fresh noise around Bayern Munich and growing scrutiny of his form.
The £116m midfielder, signed from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2025 after Liverpool’s title win, arrived as the crown jewel of a £400m rebuild. He had just driven Leverkusen to the Bundesliga in 2024/25 and looked like the next long-term Anfield playmaker.
The reality has been far more complicated.
Wirtz under pressure
Wirtz has produced flashes – moments that hint at the player who dominated in Germany – but he has not consistently hit the level expected of a record signing. The debate around him has grown louder with each subdued display.
Paul Merson has been one of the most vocal critics of the current situation.
“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,” he told Sky Sports, before delivering the blunt verdict: “But it isn’t working; it just isn’t working. I don’t know how long they can wait.”
The question has followed every Liverpool team sheet since: how patient can a club with title ambitions afford to be?
Liverpool stance: no fire sale, no panic
Despite the external pressure, Liverpool are not preparing an exit route. Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke reports that the club hierarchy remain committed to Wirtz and are not entertaining a sale to Bayern Munich.
“They’re still relying on him. 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,” O’Rourke said.
He pointed to Wirtz’s performance in the Champions League win over Atletico Madrid earlier this month as evidence of why Liverpool still believe there is a top-level player to unlock.
“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,” O’Rourke added, underlining that the solution is seen as tactical and developmental rather than transactional.
Bayern links played down
As soon as a high-profile German international struggles in England, Bayern Munich rumours are almost inevitable. Reports suggested the Bundesliga champions were tracking Wirtz and weighing up a “shock move” to bring him back home.
Sport Bild journalist Christian Falk has poured cold water on that.
“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,” he said on CF Bayern Insider.
Falk did, however, confirm there is a history between the player and Bayern. Before Wirtz chose Liverpool, there were two secret meetings – one in Munich, one in Liverpool – as the German giants tried to tempt him.
At that point, Arne Slot convinced Wirtz to pick Merseyside. That connection, Falk argued, guarantees rumours whenever his form is questioned.
“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,” Falk said, noting that the adaptation process is still ongoing.
On the Bayern side, there is also the constant backdrop of Jamal Musiala’s situation. The Germany star has not been at his sharpest, with illness and last season’s injuries disrupting his rhythm, which naturally fuels speculation about creative reinforcements.
The Olise factor and talk of a future swap
The story does not end with a simple yes-or-no on Bayern’s interest. A different angle has emerged: could Wirtz one day be part of a swap or chain of deals involving Michael Olise?
Falk did not dismiss that scenario outright. He stressed there is “nothing planned” at present, but sketched out the kind of conditions that could turn theory into negotiation.
“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,” he said.
Bayern’s squad is deep. Musiala has a long contract. Vincent Kompany is trialling a system with Olise as the central fulcrum, mirroring his role with France. Options are plentiful, and any major move would require serious money – something Liverpool have already spent heavily on Wirtz.
On a potential Wirtz–Olise dynamic, Falk continued: “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.”
The message was clear: plenty of moving parts, plenty of hypotheticals, but no concrete talks.
For now, Liverpool’s position is simple. They paid big for Florian Wirtz, they still believe in the player they fought Bayern to sign, and the burden is on Andoni Iraola and Wirtz himself to turn potential into dominance – not on the club to find him an escape route.
