Florian Wirtz: Liverpool's £116m Playmaker's Future in Doubt

Florian Wirtz is only a year into his Liverpool career, yet the noise around his future already sounds like the build‑up to another transfer saga.

A source has claimed the German playmaker would be keen to quit Anfield for Bayern Munich in a blockbuster move next year if the chance arises. Liverpool, though, are said to be drawing a firm line: they see 2027, not 2025, as the key date in his Anfield story.

A record deal that hasn’t caught fire

Wirtz arrived on Merseyside under the full glare of the spotlight. Liverpool paid a fee of around £116m to prise him from Bayer Leverkusen, a British record at the time before Alexander Isak’s move to Anfield quickly eclipsed it.

He did not come as a prospect. He came as a finished product, one of Europe’s most devastating creators. At Leverkusen, Wirtz racked up 122 goal contributions – 57 goals and 65 assists – in 197 appearances. Those numbers dragged him into the conversation with the game’s elite playmakers.

Liverpool expected that version. They have only seen flashes.

There have been moments: clever passes through tight lines, one‑touch combinations, the odd curling finish. But the sustained dominance that defined his Bundesliga years has not yet translated to the Premier League.

Jamie Carragher has not held back. The former Liverpool defender has argued that Wirtz is already operating at his ceiling at Anfield – and that this level does not justify a place in the starting XI. His criticism has fed into a growing debate over whether the German truly fits the intensity and physical demands of English football.

Bayern circle as doubts grow

That uncertainty has reopened an old door. Bayern Munich pushed hard for Wirtz last summer before losing out to Liverpool. Now, with his form under scrutiny, their interest has not gone away.

A source speaking to Football Insider has claimed Wirtz would be ready to leave if a move to Vincent Kompany’s Bayern becomes a realistic option.

“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 looks logical. A familiar league, a style he knows, and a club that believes it can unlock his best again.

“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,” the source added, pointing to the comfort and confidence Wirtz enjoyed in the Bundesliga.

The argument is simple: back to a league where he dominates, back to a rhythm that suits his game, back to a stage where his talent feels inevitable rather than debated.

Liverpool hold their ground

Inside Liverpool, the mood is very different.

Sources have told TEAMtalk that the club have no plans to entertain an exit for Wirtz and are not actively looking to sell. There is an acknowledgement that he has not yet reached the “extraordinary” levels expected when they sanctioned such a huge outlay. There is no appetite, though, to cut their losses after one full season.

The numbers underline the sense of frustration but also offer perspective. Wirtz has seven goals and 11 assists in 55 appearances for Liverpool – a direct contribution a little more than once every three games. That output is well below his Leverkusen standards, yet it actually surpasses what Martin Odegaard produced in his first 55 outings for Arsenal, a player with a similar profile who later blossomed into a captain and talisman.

Liverpool believe Wirtz can follow a similar path. The expectation is that Andoni Iraola will be given the full season to work closely with him and shape him into a cornerstone of the new project at Anfield, rather than a misfit to be moved on.

Graeme Bailey has reported that while some within the club harbour doubts over whether Wirtz can truly hit the heights that justified the fee, those internal questions have not translated into a decision to sell. The message from Anfield is steady: he stays, he fights, he grows.

A player under the microscope

Outside the club, the scrutiny is relentless. Wirtz has become a lightning rod in the wider discussion about Liverpool’s evolving identity.

Gary Neville recently claimed the midfielder “needs a rocket up him” after an anonymous display on the opening weekend of the season. The criticism has not all been aimed at the German, though. Some observers have suggested that three “scared” teammates around him have contributed to his struggles, arguing that Wirtz has been guilty of trying too hard to impress in a side still searching for its new balance.

That tension has left him as one of the most divisive figures in the Premier League: a £116m signing with world‑class pedigree whose performances have yet to consistently match his reputation.

Bayern, for their part, are watching closely. Their admiration for Wirtz has not dimmed despite his difficult first year in England. They know that if he fails to hit Liverpool’s internal benchmarks this season, the situation could shift quickly.

For now, though, Liverpool are standing firm. They paid elite money for an elite talent and remain convinced that the real Florian Wirtz is still in there, waiting to break through the Premier League storm.

If he does, the talk of Bayern will fade. If he doesn’t, the next chapter of his career might be written back in Germany, in the red of another giant.