Florian Wirtz has been told he would have been better off at Bayern Munich after a difficult start to his Liverpool career.
The German international looked certain for a move to the Allianz from Bayer Leverkusen but a meeting with Arne Slot instead convinced him to move to Anfield, but he has trouble making an impression on the Premier League so far.
With Liverpool having paid £116m for the midfielder, there was every anticipation that he would hit the ground running, but he has not registered a goal or assist in his five league matches so far.
Now Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, a member of Bayern’s supervisory board, said he should have joined the German champions instead of the English ones.
“I have to honestly say, I still feel sorry for Florian Wirtz because I think the player would be better off at Bayern Munich than at Liverpool,” he told the German publication Welt.
Bayern executives have, unsurprisingly, long believed that Wirtz would have been better going to them but sporting director Max Eberl said in the summer they were priced out of purchasing the 22-year-old.
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“I don’t know if we could have paid the price that Liverpool now apparently has to pay,” he told German newspaper SV. “It was clear, the entire club communicated, that the player was outstanding. And that we could very well have imagined him moving to FC Bayern.
“Now he’s decided differently, even though the talks were very good. Everyone was at the table. But Florian decided otherwise. That’s how it is in the transfer market.
“In the first step, you say: ‘Damn it.’ But one door closes, another opens. Now we’ll reposition ourselves for the future. Florian will make his way at Liverpool. Now we’re trying to find another outstanding player who will be successful with us.”
Rummenigge also cast his verdict on another high-profile Premier League summer transfer in Newcastle’s signing of Nick Woltemade.
The former player said they wanted to sign the lofty striker but could not get involved in “every financial madness.”
“We could have signed Woltemade,” Rummenigge said. “But I also have to say that FC Bayern would be well advised not to go along with every financial madness. I’ve always said that we want sporting success, but please with serious and solid financing.
“We have a top team. We’ll be back this year as well. And if the three currently injured players come back soon, then we’ll have a superb team.”
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