Florian Wirtz Liverpool Move Follows Andrich Urging Him Away From Bayern Munich

Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Robert Andrich said he urged Florian Wirtz to reject Bayern Munich before the midfielder’s move to Liverpool, revealing private talks that took place ahead of the transfer and

underlining how strongly Andrich felt about the playmaker leaving the Bundesliga champions’ domestic rivals.

Wirtz eventually chose Liverpool over interest from Bayern Munich and Manchester City, joining the Premier League champions for a reported 100m (117.5m) plus potential add-ons of 16m (18.8m), with the Germany international signing a five-year deal at Anfield in the 2025 summer window.

Speaking on the Spielmacher podcast, Andrich recalled telling Wirtz not to follow the path of other players who had moved from Bundesliga rivals to Bayern Munich, and admitted that a transfer to the Allianz Arena had seemed likely before Liverpool came forward with a firm proposal.

Andrich remembered his direct message to the playmaker, saying: "Please don't go to Bayern. I honestly thought he'd go there," before adding that he repeated his request when transfer talks intensified and interest from the Bundesliga champions sharpened near the end of the window.

Andrich explained that he appealed to Wirtz’s sense of loyalty and competition in the German league, saying: "I told him at some point: 'Please dont do it. Dont do this to us. '" The midfielder did not want another leading performer from Bayer Leverkusen moving to Bayern Munich.

Andrich expanded on that view by speaking about the wider impact on the Bundesliga, stating: "You can say that for German football, we need German talent to stay herebut in the end, there's only Bayern Munich at the very top when we talk about quality like Flo's. "

Because of that dominance, Andrich preferred a different path, adding: "I wanted him to go abroad. I told the Bayern guys that, too. I was happy for him that he took the step. I wouldn't have thought he'd dare to go abroad so soon. "

Wirtz had every reason to attract Bayern Munich, having become central to Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen side, making 119 appearances during Alonso’s tenure, scoring 38 goals and providing 43 assists while developing into one of the Bundesliga’s most influential attacking midfielders.

Under Alonso, Wirtz helped Leverkusen secure the club’s first-ever Bundesliga title in 2023-24 and also contributed to the DFB-Pokal triumph, with the team completing an unbeaten domestic campaign that underlined their superiority across league and cup competitions that season.

Florian Wirtz Liverpool Bayern Munich numbers and form

Across Wirtz’s final two Bundesliga seasons with Leverkusen, the midfielder attempted 446 dribbles and completed 161, the highest total in the division over that period, showing how often Wirtz carried the ball past opponents in tight areas and transitional moments.

Life at Liverpool started slowly for Wirtz, but the 22-year-old has begun to adjust to the Premier League and Jürgen Klopp’s system, recording eight goal contributions in 2025-26, with three goals and five assists so far, including five direct involvements in the last six matches in all competitions.

Some observers questioned whether Wirtz’s transfer fee was justified given Liverpool’s broader struggles this season, yet Wirtz has been one of their more consistent performers, regularly providing creativity even when results have dipped for the defending champions in domestic and European fixtures.

Wirtz has created 57 chances in all competitions this term, placing the midfielder among the most productive chance-makers in England; among Premier League players only Jeremy Doku, Enzo Fernandez, Phil Foden and Bruno Fernandes have produced more opportunities for teammates so far.

The moves of Raphael Guerreiro, Konrad Laimer, Dayot Upamecano and Leon Goretzka from other Bundesliga clubs to Bayern Munich show why Andrich feared another similar transfer, and Wirtz’s choice of Liverpool instead has altered that familiar pattern at least in this case.

Andrich’s intervention did not decide the transfer, yet the comments reflect how highly Wirtz is regarded at Bayer Leverkusen, how wary Bundesliga rivals are of Bayern Munich’s attraction, and how significant the midfielder’s decision to join Liverpool appears for both German football and the Premier League.