Florian Wirtz’s £116m move to Liverpool has exposed the bleak “reality” for Bayern Munich, with one reason behind his decision to take a risk…
Long before the days of Alexander Isak dominating the summer transfer window, Liverpool were at the centre of another saga as they fended off competition from Bayern Munich and Manchester City to land Wirtz.
A then-British record deal worth around £116m with add-ons was agreed between Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen for Wirtz, whose decision shed light on the changing of the tides in football.
Wirtz’s career at Liverpool is yet to get off the ground as he has been a peripheral figure in their opening three Premier League games, though he was not handed the easiest of starts with matches against AFC Bournemouth, Newcastle United and Arsenal.
The 22-year-old, like Viktor Gyokeres, has swiftly been written off, though it’s inevitable that his critics will end up with egg on their face as he is way too talented not to come good.
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There have been fleeting flashes of the Wirtz at Leverkusen this season, and this will become a more regular occurrence once Liverpool get used to him and he becomes accustomed to Arne Slot’s approach.
Once the pieces fall together, Liverpool, especially following the deadline-day arrival of Isak, could be an unstoppable force this season, with the signing of Wirtz one that would have never happened a few years ago.
Once it became apparent that he would be following Xabi Alonso in leaving Leverkusen, most naively assumed that he would head to Bayern Munich, as that is where the best German players usually end up.
However, Wirtz bucked that trend by opting for Liverpool over the German giants, and former Chelsea star Michael Ballack reckons this sheds light on the “reality” for Bayern Munich and the Bundesliga.
“Fundamentally, I’m concerned about something else,” Ballack said to BILD.
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“Let’s take Wirtz as an example: Does it make sense for him and his development to play in the Bundesliga for Bayern for another two or three years?
“Of course, he wins championships there. But is the Bundesliga still a challenge for him at the highest level? No, because the Bundesliga was overtaken by the Premier League years ago.
“That’s the reality. That’s why it’s generally no longer as attractive for the absolute top players. That’s why changes are needed.”
And Ballack is right.
The Bundesliga has been on a downward curve for a while, which is proved by the league turning to The Overlap and Mark bloody Goldbridge to spark interest, while the Germany national team is also struggling through a transitional phase.
Real Madrid or FC Barcelona are still where the best players will end up, but the gap to the Premier League is narrowing and Wirtz deserves credit for taking the risk of snubbing home comforts for Liverpool to “challenge” himself.
