Thomas Müller launched sharp criticism regarding Florian Wirtz's transfer to Liverpool.
In an interview with CBS Sports on the 4th (Korea time), Müller expressed strong skepticism about the transfer fee, stating, "The modern football market is unrealistic."
Liverpool announced on June 21 on its official website that "we have agreed on the transfer of Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen. Wirtz has completed personal negotiations and has passed the medical test smoothly." The contract period is until June 2030.
According to transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano, Bayer Leverkusen and Liverpool reached a transfer fee agreement of up to 150 million euros (approximately 236.1 billion won).
Born in 2003, Wirtz is a young talent that Germany takes pride in. He made his professional debut through Leverkusen at the age of 17 in 2020. He gained significant attention in the 2021-2022 Bundesliga season, scoring 7 goals and providing 10 assists in 24 matches. He has the ability for playmaking and penetration, moving between central and lateral positions as an attacking midfielder.
Although he is right-footed, Wirtz is also proficient with his left foot, making him even more threatening with his scoring ability. He has scored 57 goals in a total of 197 matches for Leverkusen. He has also contributed 6 goals in 29 matches for the German national team. He led Leverkusen to an undefeated title in the Bundesliga last season and has also experienced being the runner-up in the UEFA Europa League and winning the DFB-Pokal.
This season, Wirtz recorded 16 goals and 14 assists in 45 official matches, leaving behind good stats. During this summer transfer market, he received interest from numerous big clubs. Originally, it seemed certain that Wirtz would move to the biggest club in his home country, Germany, Bayern Munich. Bayern has actually been in talks with Wirtz's father for over a decade.
However, Wirtz rejected the move to Bayern. Ultimately, Liverpool captured Wirtz's heart with facilities and projects. Liverpool reached an agreement with a transfer fee of 150 million euros, the highest in Premier League history. This transfer also broke the record for the highest transfer fee in Bundesliga history, exceeding the 121 million euros (approximately 188 billion won) Chelsea spent to acquire Enzo Fernández and the 105 million euros (approximately 163.5 billion won) Dortmund received when sending Ousmane Dembélé to Barcelona in 2017.
Germany's Bild hinted that Wirtz's salary could reach up to 22 million euros (approximately 34.6 billion won). There was a long-term interest and effort behind Liverpool's ability to acquire Wirtz. According to Sky Sports, Michael Edwards, the football CEO of Fenway Sports Group, which owns Liverpool, has been in contact with Wirtz's family since 2020 when Wirtz was playing in the youth team in Cologne. Edwards has maintained contact even after Wirtz suffered a left knee ligament injury in 2022.
Meanwhile, Bayern legend Müller claimed that Wirtz's acquisition is "too expensive." Although his contract with Bayern expires at the end of this season, he is participating in the Club World Cup and stated, "Wirtz is a player who can perform well anywhere. He is strong in both skill and mentality," opening with praise for his junior.
However, his expression changed immediately when discussing the transfer fee. Müller said, "People have become numb to astronomical transfer fees. 150 million euros? That’s nonsense," adding, "It's just a numbers game between clubs. Can you even imagine what that money really means?" expressing his dissatisfaction.
In fact, Müller is somewhat regretful that Bayern refused to renew his contract in order to acquire Wirtz as he approaches retirement. He said, "It is not right to evaluate a player's value solely based on the transfer fee. With that money, we could plant countless trees," using his characteristic humor to satirize the current situation.
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