Matthäus sees no Bayern route for Wirtz but raises prospect of Chelsea move

After enjoying some much-needed success with Germany during the international break, Florian Wirtz is once again facing heavy criticism at Liverpool following his side’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City.

The 23-year-old has generally struggled to live up to expectations since joining Liverpool in a big-money move in the summer of 2025. And with his performances yet to reach the levels expected of him, questions have been raised over his long-term future at Anfield, with a potential departure next summer not ruled out if he fails to turn things around.

Bayern Munich have been touted as a possible destination should Wirtz leave Liverpool, but German football legend Lothar Matthäus is sceptical that the Bavarian giants will reignite their interest, given the wealth of attacking talent already at their disposal.

Instead, Matthäus believes Chelsea could be an option for Wirtz, allowing him to reunite with former Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso at the London club.

“I’ve recently been impressed by Florian Wirtz when he plays for the German national team. His teammates look to find him on the ball there, just as they used to at Leverkusen. At Liverpool, however, the players tend to look for other options, such as Szoboszlai alongside him or Isak ahead of him,” Matthäus wrote in his column for Sky Germany.

He continued: “According to my latest information from England, people have generally been satisfied with his performances recently. However, when you are an expensive, game-changing player and lose a big match 3–0, you can expect plenty of backlash from the media.”

Assessing the likelihood of a move to Bayern, Matthäus explained:

“When I look at Bayern Munich’s attacking options, Kane, Olise and Díaz are established starters, while Musiala and Gnabry are also top-quality players. The club wants to extend Kane’s and Olise’s contracts, while the others are tied down to long-term deals. Saibari has also recently joined the squad.

“At the moment, I honestly wouldn’t know where Wirtz would fit in, and I simply don’t see any realistic short-term possibility of bringing him to Bayern Munich.

“If Wirtz continues to face criticism at Liverpool and fails to show the joy and freedom in his game that we know he has, then at some point all parties will have to sit down together and perhaps find a solution.

“There are clubs in Spain that would be interested, as well as another club in England: Chelsea, where Wirtz’s former coach Xabi Alonso is now in charge.”