Uli Hoeness has criticised Liverpool’s use of Florian Wirtz, claiming the Germany international would be performing at a much higher level if he were playing for Bayern Munich.
Liverpool paid a substantial fee to sign Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen last season, but the 23-year-old has yet to consistently reproduce the form that made him one of European football’s most highly regarded young players.
Hoeness, Bayern’s honorary president, suggested the midfielder had not been properly integrated into Arne Slot’s side and could be better suited to a return to the Bundesliga.
“Florian Wirtz would play much better for Bayern than he does at Liverpool,” Hoeness told Welt Am Sonntag.
“I watch a lot of his games. They haven’t integrated him properly at all. In Leverkusen, he got every ball; in Liverpool, he’s just one among many.”
Could Florian Wirtz leave Liverpool?
The comments represent a striking public intervention from a senior Bayern figure, particularly as the club would be expected to hold an interest in one of Germany’s leading young talents.
Wirtz’s difficulties at Anfield could fuel speculation over his future if his adaptation to English football does not improve. He has now spent almost a year and a half at Liverpool, yet the impact he made at Leverkusen has remained difficult to replicate.
While Hoeness blamed Liverpool’s failure to integrate the midfielder, Wirtz would also have to accept some responsibility for not adapting more quickly. Continued struggles could nevertheless create the possibility of a Bundesliga return, with Bayern an obvious potential destination.
