Say it ain’t so…
If the most recent rumors are to be believed. Bayern Munich has whiffed on acquiring Bayer Leverkusen ace Florian Wirtz — a move that could have pushed the Bavarians into the favorite position for the Champions League next season.
Now, it is (likely) back to the drawing board. So, how it did it all happen? Let’s unpack it.
We covered the initial news burst here, but more has come out since that point, so let’s dig in…
Sport Bild’s Christian Falk
Sport Bild’s Christian Falk reported that Wirtz told Bayern Munich that he wants to move to Liverpool FC instead of Bavaria. Surely, that was a bitter blow to take:
There have been renewed talks between Bayern’s bosses and Wirtz’s side. Bayern have reportedly been informed that Florian Wirtz’s intention is now to move to Liverpool FC if the English champions can agree on the requested transfer fee with Leverkusen this summer.
This will sting more if Bayer Leverkusen lowers its asking price to accommodate Liverpool. To think, some of this bitterness stems from bad relations last summer over…freaking Jonathan Tah.
kicker’s Georg Holzner (via @iMiaSanMia)
Per kicker journalist Georg Holzner, it was the sales pitch from Liverpool boss Arne Slot that sealed the deal for Wirtz:
The conversation between Florian Wirtz and Liverpool coach Arne Slot is said to have been a decisive factor in the player’s decision. There were also recent discussions with Vincent Kompany. Currently, however, everything points to Wirtz moving to England – provided Liverpool can afford the requested transfer fee by Leverkusen
This begs the question — was Slot’s plan for Wirtz simply better than what Kompany had to offer?
Sky Sport’s Florian Plettenberg
To add the final nail in the coffin, Sky Sport journo Florian Plettenberg reports that there will be “no transfer” between Bayern Munich and Wirtz:
BREAKING | Florian #Wirtz has given FC Liverpool his verbal commitment today!
Been told Bayern have been informed now. Following the latest developments, Wirtz has officially turned down FC Bayern – no transfer! #LFC
Liverpool will submit their offer shortly.
BFW Analysis
So…what else could have went wrong? Let’s consider these aspects of the situation:
- Liverpool offers a bigger platform for Wirtz to win the Ballon d’Or. For as good as Wirtz is, he would have to share the spotlight at Bayern Munich with Jamal Musiala and — perhaps — only be seen as a supporting player. At Liverpool, he can be the player in the spotlight for big awards.
- Kompany might not have told Wirtz he would play the No. 10 role (which we can assume might have been an issue).
- Bayern Munich might have gotten overconfident with where it stood with Wirtz — and not his father. All along, Wirtz’s dad was rumored to be the person driving the Bayern Munich move, but the player still might have had a wandering eye. Feeling sure it was going to win the transfer battle, the Bavarians were — allegedly — only ready to submit a lowball offer of €100 million to Bayer Leverkusen. That would have almost assuredly initiated a long, drawn out battle that we can probably assume was not on Wirtz’s agenda for the summer. For Liverpool, it is quite simple — they presented a good (maybe better) plan to Wirtz and they are more willing to at least get close to what Bayer Leverkusen’s asking price might be (rumored to be €150 million).
- In short, this was a move Bayern Munich needed to make and it looks like the club failed. The post mortem on this (and the spin surrounding it) has three-ring circus potential. Buckle up Bayern Munich fans, the summer might have just gotten a little more wild.
The Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show has dropped and we have a full slate of topics! Let’s talk about where things stand between Bayern Munich and Florian Wirtz and which transfer is more important — Wirtz or Jonathan Tah? Plus, we’ve got our official Weekend Warm-up Bundesliga Team of the Season and a follow-up on Bayern Munich’s developmental woes that could be leaving doubt about a couple of prized prospects. You can get the show on Patreon, Spotify, or below:
Also, be sure to stay tuned to Bavarian Podcast Works for all of your up to date coverage on Bayern Munich and Germany. Check us out on Patreon and follow us on Twitter @BavarianFBWorks, @BavarianPodcast @TheBarrelBlog, @BFWCyler, @2012nonexistent, @TommyAdams71 and more
