Bayern Munich Denies Shock Move for Wirtz Amid Swap Speculation
Bayern Munich have stepped away from the idea of launching a dramatic move for Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz – for now – even as the playmaker’s stuttering start to life in England keeps his name circling around Bavaria.
Liverpool beat both Bayern and Manchester City to Wirtz in the summer of 2025, paying around £116m to prise him from Bayer Leverkusen. It was a statement deal, the kind that announces a new era. Wirtz arrived as one of Europe’s most gifted young attackers, a Bundesliga prodigy expected to light up the Premier League.
The reality has been harsher. The German international has struggled to match the weight of the fee and the hype, wrestling with the intensity and physical demands of English football. That dip has inevitably reopened old wounds in Munich, where Bayern had courted him heavily before losing out.
The storyline wrote itself: Liverpool wobble, Bayern swoop, Wirtz comes home.
Not this time.
According to German reporter Christian Falk, Bayern are not working on any such raid. Speaking on CF Bayern Insider, he shut down claims of an active pursuit.
“It is NOT TRUE: Bayern Munich are tracking Florian Wirtz and could make a shock move for the Liverpool player. My information is that this is not true,” Falk said.
The denial lands against the backdrop of a long and complicated courtship. Bayern held two secret meetings with Wirtz before his Liverpool switch – one in Munich, another on Merseyside – only for Arne Slot to convince the player to anchor his future at Anfield. That history guarantees speculation every time Wirtz’s form is questioned or Bayern’s attack is dissected.
Falk, though, pushed back on the idea that Wirtz is failing.
He pointed out that the 21-year-old is operating in a new role under Slot and, in his view, actually performing better than last season, even if the numbers and perception have yet to catch up. At the same time, Jamal Musiala’s own rhythm at Bayern has been disrupted by illness after last year’s injury issues, adding another layer to the narrative around creative roles in Munich.
No plan on Wirtz – but doors not locked
Falk was clear on one key point: there is “nothing planned” between Bayern and Wirtz right now. No concrete talks. No active negotiations.
That does not mean the idea is dead forever.
Wirtz grew up in the Bundesliga and Bayern remain the natural gravitational force for any German star considering a return. If, at some stage, he decides England isn’t home, Bayern would be the first club he speaks to. That is the reality of their status and their past interest.
For the moment, though, Vincent Kompany’s squad looks deep and confident. Musiala is tied down on a long contract. Michael Olise has been pushed into a central role, acting as the hub of Kompany’s new system in much the same way he operates for France. Between those options and the sheer size of Bayern’s attacking group, there is no urgent need to tear up the structure to accommodate Wirtz.
And Liverpool’s stance matters. They spent heavily to win that transfer battle. Any deal would demand serious money, or a very specific kind of solution.
The Olise question and a tantalising swap scenario
That is where Olise’s future sneaks into the story.
Falk insists there is no agreement and no active plan, but he refuses to completely dismiss the prospect of a swap-style scenario involving Wirtz and Olise somewhere down the line.
Everyone at Bayern, he says, hopes the former Crystal Palace winger signs a new deal. If he does, the conversation ends there. If he does not, the landscape changes.
Should Olise push for a move – whether to Liverpool or to a club such as Real Madrid – Bayern would suddenly sit on a major asset. A big sale could bankroll a renewed attempt to land Wirtz. A direct swap with Liverpool would also tick a lot of boxes on paper: a creative, versatile German returning to the Bundesliga; a dynamic, Premier League-proven wide forward heading to Anfield.
Falk underlined how many moving parts would need to align. Olise’s contract decision. Wirtz’s happiness in England. Liverpool’s willingness to listen. Bayern’s internal hierarchy of targets. The financial arithmetic after that £116m outlay.
“So, there are many, many positions which have to be discussed. I wouldn’t say it’s not true that Bayern Munich would have thought of that,” he admitted.
For now, Bayern are not coming for Wirtz. But as long as his form is debated on Merseyside and Olise’s future in Munich hangs in the air, the idea of a blockbuster trade will sit there, tempting the market, waiting for the first decisive move.
