They've obviously been told they're third in the running and are saving face. They'd have known how much he would be looking for and it wouldn't have taken this long to figure out he'd actually too expensive
I hope this comment comes back to bite me on the arse but Wirtz has the look of a Bayern Munich. That smug better than thou German resting arrogance face has been perfected my players like Ballack, Mueller etc over the years.
I’m breaking my silence for this one tweet because there’s far too much misinformation circulating around Florian Wirtz, and it’s creating a wave of false hope within the Bayern fanbase that simply doesn’t reflect the reality behind the scenes. Florian Wirtz will not be joining Bayern Munich, and there is no version of events where this transfer happens anymore. That is the clear information coming from those directly involved, and it has been internally accepted at the club for quite some time now. I’m not here to gain anything from this, and everyone is free to believe what they want, but the information I’ve shared over the past week has consistently been confirmed piece by piece, including the internal dispute between Hans Wirtz and the Bayern board, as well as the strategic PR campaign that followed, carried out by the usual Bayern-aligned reporters wwho essentially confirmed everything in their softened language to protect the club’s image. From the beginning, Hans Wirtz was in contact with Bayern officials, particularly Uli Hoeneß, and while there was a mutual agreement on contractual terms in the event Florian would decide to join, it was never an exclusive commitment. The family had made it clear they would listen to offers from other top clubs before making a final decision, yet Bayern ignored this and prematurely pushed out a narrative through their media allies suggesting that Wirtz had already chosen Munich and would only consider them. That attempt to pressure Leverkusen into lowering the transfer fee was not only transparent but deeply disrespectful, and it severely damaged the relationship with the Wirtz family. What followed were direct talks with Manchester City and Liverpool. Pep Guardiola had been personally pushing for months, and while City remained genuinely interested, the combination of high financial demands and Florian’s lingering indecisiveness ultimately led them to step back from the deal. Liverpool, on the other hand, increased their efforts and left a far stronger impression on Florian and his family. Arne Slot’s tactical presentation, the club’s vision, and the personal approach taken during discussions made a clear impact. In comparison, Vincent Kompany’s plan came across as underwhelming and failed to convince Wirtz that Bayern could offer him the right role from a tactical perspective, which only reinforced his decision to turn away from Bayern‘s project. The choice not to join Bayern has already been formally communicated to the board. The reason it hasn’t been made public yet is due to Bayern’s ongoing efforts to manage the narrative and prepare a controlled PR rollout that helps soften the blow. That explains the unusually tense and visibly frustrated tone of Uli Hoeneß in his recent interview, where he subtly acknowledged Liverpool’s involvement. Out of respect for Bayern’s long-standing interest, the Wirtz family agreed to hold off on announcing Florian’s decision for a few more days, despite being deeply dissatisfied with the tactics used by Bayern in recent weeks. The respect is still there, but the trust has been broken. There was also brief internal consideration from Real Madrid, but that has now faded. They neither have the current need for Wirtz’s profile nor the financial and strategic bandwidth to move quickly, while Florian has made it clear he wants clarity about his future and intends to finalize everything within a tight timeframe. It’s also worth mentioning that Bayern had quietly been working on a potential signing of Juliane Wirtz, Florian’s sister, from Werder Bremen for their women’s team. That move was intended to help him settle more comfortably in Munich. Negotiations with Bremen were already advanced, and contract details had been worked out, but that idea has now been completely shelved. The cancellation of that plan is yet another clear indicator that Bayern themselves know the transfer for Florian has collapsed. From @BayernSpace on twitter. He's not followed by anybody with any clout but I'm believing every word here
150 million euro mentioned! Wonder how much is in the old transfer chest this summer? You would think that Caicedo/Zubimendi money is still available, plus CL & League income and then I reckon we’ll take in the guts of 100 mil with the sales of the likes of Nunez, Kelleher, Tsimikas etc. If Wirtz and Kerkez sign I would still want a CB and a striker
Kelleher, Tsimikas and Nunez are definitely gone. Big questions marks over Jota, Quansah, Chiesa and Elliot.
I'm keeping all those with a question mark. Premier league winners. There's a serious h0rn for a big squad over haul from a lot of quarters which I find a little bizarre tbh. Almost all of this assembled squad by Jurgen 2 years ago has won a caribou Cup, challenged for a title till late April, made a caribou cup final and won a premier league. 100% the squad/first team needs strengthening but to bin so many in one window with so many coming in could easily see us take a step backwards because of too much too soon.
I agree…no way we should be ripping up a league winning squad. Of the ones I mentioned we (likely) have upgraded with the keeper and Kerkez. And then with Nunez it is just not working under Slot, so an upgrade is a definite possibility. Of the others (you could add Endo and Diaz as well) I would not be getting rid unless stupid offers or upgrades come in. Slot didn’t trust the squad players and maybe that’s part of the reason we fell short on other fronts. But just to reiterate we do not need major surgery or an overhaul.
Don’t see the point in getting rid of Quansah myself. Very young and has gotten good experience. Good squad option for cup games and filling in next season. Endo the same. Elliot slightly different, I think his similar to Harry Wilson, a move might be good for him. If you just watched MOTD, you’d think Wilson was world class as he scores worldies every now and again. Harvey Great ability but doesn’t have the pace for the winger position and not sure he has enough for a midfield 3 week in week out. Would be an excellent signing for Palace for the Europa League. Jota fallen off a cliff goal scoring wise since coming back from injury and if any decent offer comes in I’d cash in. Nunez too.
Yeah I'd like to hold on to Quansah. He hasn't had the best of seasons but that doesn't necessarily mean he's not good enough. I'm not sure how much Slot trusts him though.
Man Utd putting all their players up for sale. Go in and get Yoro from them like we should have last year. Their fans wouldn't be able to take it
Ornstein has a piece on Wirtz that sounds more than encouraging. I promised myself after Caicedo I wouldn't get sucked into this shit anymore, but the buxom bosomed siren lady transfer is at it again.
David Ornstein @David_Ornstein · 2m Florian Wirtz was in north west England recently to house hunt before potential Liverpool switch, should it proceed (not related to Man City). Bayern Munich have been informed of playmaker’s preference for #LFC, as @sachatavolieri reports @TheAthleticFC
Wow, this is actually as near as he's coming as we've seen. Big big news this Florian Wirtz was in north west England recently to house hunt before potential Liverpool switch, should it proceed (not related to Man City). Bayern Munich have been informed of playmaker’s preference for #LFC, as @sachatavolieri reports @