Florian Wirtz's Liverpool Future Under Scrutiny as Bayern Munich Circles

Florian Wirtz’s Liverpool future is back under the microscope, and Bayern Munich are circling.

The £116m playmaker, signed from Bayer Leverkusen in what was then a British record deal, is understood to be open to a return to Germany with Bayern next year if a concrete offer lands on the table, according to a Football Insider source. Liverpool, though, are digging their heels in and see 2027 – not 2025 – as the earliest point to even think about an exit.

A record fee, a slow burn

When Liverpool beat Bayern to Wirtz last summer, the numbers from Leverkusen screamed superstar.

• 197 games.
• 57 goals.
• 65 assists.

One of Europe’s most inventive playmakers was supposed to arrive at Anfield and light up the Premier League.

It has not worked out that way. Not yet.

There have been flashes – clever passes between the lines, the odd game where he seems a step ahead of everyone else – but the sustained dominance Liverpool paid for has not materialised. The fee, now the third-largest in the club’s history after Alexander Isak’s arrival, hangs over him every time he misplaces a pass.

Jamie Carragher has already gone in hard. The former defender has argued that what Wirtz is showing now might be his ceiling at Liverpool, and that level, in his view, does not justify a permanent place in the side. His criticism has only poured fuel on an already simmering debate.

Bayern scent opportunity

With the scrutiny growing, the Bayern links have roared back into life.

The German champions, who pushed Liverpool all the way for Wirtz before his Premier League move, have never cooled their interest. TEAMtalk reports that Bayern are still tracking his situation closely under Vincent Kompany, aware that another underwhelming season could change the dynamics at Anfield.

A Football Insider source claims Wirtz would be keen to go if Bayern make a serious move.

“The main problem for Wirtz is that he has seemingly struggled to adapt to the Premier League,” the source said, pointing to the league’s physicality and tempo as major hurdles. According to that view, his best Liverpool performances have come in Europe, where the rhythm suits him better.

From the player’s side, a return to the Bundesliga makes obvious sense: familiar league, familiar style, proven output. Bayern know exactly what he can do in that environment. The source believes that, if a bid landed, Wirtz would want the move, convinced he would fit far better into Bayern’s system.

Liverpool hold their line

Liverpool see it differently.

Club sources have told TEAMtalk that there are no plans to cash in, no internal push to sell, and no intention of entertaining offers in the near future. The stance is clear: Wirtz stays, and the club backs him to grow into the role they envisioned when they smashed their transfer structure for him.

Graeme Bailey reports that while some figures inside the club quietly wonder whether Wirtz can truly hit the “extraordinary” level expected, that doubt has not translated into any decision to move him on. Instead, the hierarchy want Andoni Iraola to have this season to work with the German and try to turn him into a cornerstone of the new project.

The expectation is that Wirtz will be given time, minutes and responsibility. Liverpool are betting that the adaptation curve, not the talent, is the problem.

Numbers that cut both ways

The raw output tells a complicated story.

• Seven goals and 11 assists in 55 Liverpool appearances.
• A direct goal contribution a little over every three games.

For a £116m playmaker, that looks underwhelming, especially compared with his Leverkusen peak. For a player still adjusting to a new league, new teammates and a different tactical framework, it is not a disaster.

There is context, too. Those 18 goal contributions in his first 55 matches actually outstrip Martin Odegaard’s return over his first 55 games for Arsenal, and the Norwegian has since grown into one of the Premier League’s most influential midfielders. Liverpool will cling to that parallel as evidence that patience can pay off.

Still, the debate rages.

Gary Neville recently declared that Wirtz “needs a rocket up him” after an anonymous display on the opening weekend. Others inside the game have pushed back, arguing his struggles are tied to three “scared” teammates around him and a player guilty of trying too hard to justify his fee.

A tug of war in slow motion

So the picture is this:

• A 23-year-old star, caught between expectation and adaptation.
• A superclub in Germany waiting for a crack in Liverpool’s resolve.
• A fanbase split between frustration and faith.

Bayern are not rushing. They are watching, waiting, and banking on the possibility that another season of inconsistency might shift the conversation at Anfield.

Liverpool, for now, are unmoved. They believe the real Florian Wirtz is still to come.

The question is simple and brutal: does that version emerge on Merseyside this season, or does the Bundesliga end up seeing it first?