Bayern Munich have lost their appeal! Why Bundesliga champions missed out on Florian Wirtz to Liverpool explained by club legend Oliver Kahn
Was heavily linked to Bayern as well
Kahn explains why youngster chose a move to England
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Legendary former goalkeeper Kahn tried to explain why Bayern Munich were snubbed by Wirtz in favour of a move to Liverpool. The Bayer Leverkusen man was heavily linked with the Bavarians over the years, but ultimately decided to move to the Premier League for a British transfer record fee of £116 million (€135m/$157m).
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Wirtz's father, Hans-Joachim, explained that a call with Liverpool boss Arne Slot made all the difference, with the 22-year-old impressed with the Dutch manager's sporting vision. Moreover, Bayern sporting director Max Eberl conceded in June that they were not in a position to match the financial muscle of the Reds. It is understood that Liverpool's project and Bayern's comparatively weaker financial power led to the Bundesliga champions missing out on their most sought-after transfer target.
WHAT OLIVER KAHN SAID
Speaking to Sky Sport in Germany, Kahn said: "I don't know if you should break it down to the club issue. I think you should first break it down to the league issue. I don't know if that's a problem for FC Bayern or a problem for the Bundesliga itself. Because if I'm a player, the Premier League is the most attractive league. Sportingly, economically, and media-wise, too. It has completely different marketing opportunities, even globally. That's the first thing I would consider as a player.
"And if you think about it, 'Okay, I'm going to FC Bayern and then becoming German champions for the 15th, 16th, 17th time, is that really so appealing to me?' Of course, winning the Champions League is always incredibly appealing. There are a lot of thoughts that a young player has. Then, of course, the team comes into play at some point. You think about which team, which system, which coach I'm a better fit for. I didn't think about it so much before. For me, there was only one club back then. That was Bayern Munich.
"But you see how times change. I experienced it myself when I was in charge, always with the players, how much thought they put into any career move. It's almost nothing to do with gut feeling anymore. A huge number of things are analyzed, and then a decision is made. The final decision is still a bit of a gut feeling. But the amount of thought that goes into it is quite astonishing.
"FC Bayern have won the German championship 12 times in 13 years. Is it really still a motivation to become German champions for the 13th or 14th time? But of course, there are many things, even if you talk about turnover. Many coaches have come and gone. With that, the philosophies and ideas have changed again and again. The squad. It always feels like a constant roster shake-up.
"All of that naturally creates a kind of unrest. And I'm self-critical enough, don't get me wrong. During my time, this very issue of continuity in all areas, I would have liked to have done better. But that's something that many players then say, including coaches, by the way, I have to think about very carefully."
WHAT NEXT FOR FLORIAN WIRTZ?
The German international made his unofficial debut for his new team last weekend as Liverpool beat Stoke 5-0 in a pre-season outing. He is expected to be in the starting XI for the next summer friendly, which takes place on July 26 against AC Milan.
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