Florian Wirtz was one of the most talked-about players in the football world heading into the summer transfer window.
The German star is one of the biggest talents in the sport, and when it became clear that the 22-year-old would be leaving Bayer Leverkusen ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, the biggest clubs across Europe pushed for his signature.
It looked like Bayern Munich and Manchester City were the main contenders at one point in the saga; however, Liverpool entered the Wirtz race out of nowhere, and in the end, it was the Reds who secured the signing of the midfielder as part of a £116m deal.
This was a big blow for Man City, as Wirtz was Pep Guardiola’s top target for this summer, and the German international’s father has just revealed how close the Manchester club were to signing the midfielder.
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Man City were not serious contenders for Florian Wirtz
Wirtz was seen as the perfect replacement for Kevin De Bruyne by Guardiola, as the 22-year-old showed that he is one of the most creative midfielders in the world during his time at Bayer Leverkusen, producing 57 goals and 65 assists across 197 appearances for the Bundesliga club.
It was reported that Wirtz turned down a move to Man City due to the uncertainty over the long-term future of Guardiola, but the German’s dad has just revealed that Bayern Munich and Liverpool were the only serious contenders for his son.
When asked in an interview with Der Spiegel about the interest of City and Real Madrid, Hans-Joachim Wirtz responded by saying: “Several clubs were interested, but in the end, Bayern and Liverpool were the only serious contenders.”
This may come as a shock to Man City fans, as it looked like the Manchester club were one of the frontrunners during the race for the 22-year-old.
In the end, City had no chance once Wirtz spoke to Arne Slot, with the German’s father revealing just how much the Dutch coach influenced his son’s decision to play for Liverpool.
Arne Slot was key to Florian Wirtz’s decision
Wirtz’s £116m move to Liverpool is a British transfer record, and that may put some pressure on the 22-year-old to perform.
However, the player’s father seems to have full trust in Slot to bring the best out of the midfielder, revealing the Dutch coach was key to the move.
“You could say that. Arne Slot was able to convince Florian on a sporting level,” Hans-Joachim Wirtz told Der Spiegel. “He is also a very pleasant person. Florian’s best coaches were always those who gave him a lot of freedom.
“And those with the greatest empathy have also reached Florian. He finds the game in England interesting because it thrives on pace and dynamism. Arne Slot presented his playing philosophy, the team tactics in possession and pressing, and how Florian can develop his strengths in it.
“That made a decisive impression on Florian. The training conditions in Liverpool were also totally impressive. Plus, Florian is now at a good age to move abroad. Once you have a family, you are no longer as independent.”
