Florian Wirtz is once again being linked to FC Bayern. But it is precisely the Munich club’s recent performance that raises a crucial question.
Florian Wirtz and FC Bayern—this transfer rumor just won’t go away. In the summer of 2025, the Munich club made an intensive push for the German national team player and would even have been willing to invest over 100 million euros for their top target at the time. Wirtz, however, opted for Liverpool, which paid Bayer Leverkusen around 125 million euros.
Fifteen months later, the situation has changed. Wirtz has so far been unable to live up to the enormous expectations in England. Most recently, Football Insider reported that Liverpool is anticipating a possible offer from Bayern. TEAMtalk had also previously reported that the Munich club continues to monitor his development.
Signals from Germany, however, suggest otherwise. According to information from BILD’s soccer editor Christian Falk, Bayern is not currently planning a new push for the player. Coach Vincent Kompany reportedly sees no need for another top-tier playmaker.
And this is precisely where the crucial question lies: Where would Wirtz even play on this Bayern team?
Musiala, Olise, Kane: Where would there even be room for Wirtz?
Even when Bayern first courted Wirtz, the division of roles wasn’t entirely clear. Jamal Musiala had signed a long-term extension and was actually supposed to anchor the attacking midfield. For a while, there were therefore considerations to deploy Musiala and Wirtz together in a sort of “double ten” formation.
In the meantime, Bayern’s offense has evolved further. Musiala is on his way back to his former strength following his health issues. Michael Olise is playing at a world-class level and can decide games from both the right wing and the center. Harry Kane is a fixture up front and is expected to extend his contract, which runs through 2027.
Luis Díaz plays on the left wing. Although the Colombian is currently going through a slump, he has already demonstrated his quality in Munich. Wirtz could, in principle, also move out to the wing. Whether that would be his optimal position, however, is questionable. Even during the German national team’s disappointing World Cup, he was barely able to make an impact on the left side.
As a result, a Wirtz transfer might create a new problem rather than solving an existing one. One of the top-tier attacking players would have to make way, or Kompany would have to change his system.
Lothar Matthäus, too, therefore sees no compelling reason for a transfer to Bayern at this time. “I don’t see any need for action there,” the record-holding national team player explained at the DFB’s referees’ summit in Munich, referring to the lineup featuring Díaz, Musiala, and Olise behind Kane.
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Added to this is Wirtz’s difficult development at Liverpool. At the same event, Dietmar Hamann offered a blunt assessment of the 23-year-old: “I see a player who cost a lot of money, played poorly last year, and has gotten off to another poor start this year.”
The former Liverpool pro doesn’t yet see Wirtz fulfilling the role for which he was signed: “He’s already had a year. He hasn’t improved so far, and that’s why I find it a bit hard to imagine why things should get better now after 14 or 15 months. Over the course of those 15 months, it’s simply been too little.”
Nevertheless, Hamann, of all people, is bringing Bayern back into the picture. “In Liverpool, the voices are getting louder now: that if things continue this way, a solution will have to be found. And yes, Bayern have wanted him before,” said the 53-year-old, adding: “If they have the money and if they still want him, then who knows…”
A Wirtz transfer certainly wouldn’t come cheap
Matthäus, on the other hand, is by no means writing Wirtz off: “We know what Florian Wirtz is capable of; he just needs to realize his potential. In Liverpool, he no longer has the support of teammates who feed him every ball […] He has to create his own space, and if he manages to do that, then he’ll deliver those performances again and be the game-changer he was at Bayer Leverkusen.”
That’s exactly what Bayern has to weigh. Wirtz, of course, still possesses tremendous soccer talent. If he can regain his Leverkusen form, he’ll be among the most exceptional attacking players in Europe.
A transfer is therefore likely to be primarily a question of price. In 2025, Bayern was prepared to invest a sum in the hundreds of millions for Wirtz. Today, the situation is different: Musiala is under contract for the long term, Olise has developed into a superstar, and the offense boasts numerous top-tier options.
For a price in the range of Liverpool’s transfer fee at the time, a new bid from Bayern would therefore be difficult to justify. Should Liverpool eventually be willing to offer a significant discount, the equation could look different. Wirtz’s athletic ability is fundamentally beyond question—but Bayern’s needs are now significantly greater.