Report: Liverpool Could Part With Wirtz as Cherki Interest Persists
The short version
- Liverpool signed Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen in 2025 in a deal worth up to £116 million.
- Speculation in Germany says Liverpool could let Wirtz join Bayern Munich, with summer 2027 floated as a possible exit.
- Rayan Cherki joined Manchester City after Liverpool ended their pursuit to sign Wirtz; the 23-year-old has since been the stronger performer, per the report.
- Manchester City are facing Premier League sanctions, which could affect the futures of their players.
- Next summer is seen as pivotal for Liverpool's No. 10 position.
A report citing Germany's Bild says Liverpool could let Florian Wirtz leave in 2027, with Bayern Munich interested and Anfield monitoring City's Rayan Cherki.
Liverpool's deal for Florian Wirtz, completed in 2025 for a fee that could reach £116 million, is coming under fresh scrutiny. A TEAMtalk report citing German outlet Bild suggests the Germany playmaker could leave Anfield as early as 2027, and says Liverpool's maintained interest in Manchester City's Rayan Cherki is adding pressure on his position.
The transfer was arranged under then-head coach Arne Slot and then-sporting director Richard Hughes, who persuaded the playmaker to make the switch to England. Wirtz left Bayer Leverkusen, where he had been part of a double-winning side, with Manchester City and Real Madrid also in the running for his signature.
A central role in a rebuilt Liverpool attack under Slot was the decisive factor in the negotiations. The move was regarded at the time as a major coup for Hughes and the Anfield hierarchy.
On the pitch, the returns have fallen short of what was expected of a player signed for such a fee. Questions over the consistency of Wirtz's performances began in his first campaign and have stretched into a second season, with the scrutiny showing no sign of easing.
Speculation is mounting in Germany that Liverpool could allow Wirtz to leave at the end of the current campaign. According to the Bild report relayed by TEAMtalk, the summer of 2027 is viewed as a potential departure point if the expected step up in his performances does not arrive.
Bayern Munich, the report adds, would welcome the Germany international. Any sale, however, would presumably recoup less than Liverpool paid, and it would leave the club needing a replacement.
Liverpool's interest in Cherki predates the Wirtz deal. Slot flew to France to hold talks with the then-Lyon playmaker before the transfer was finalized and told him Liverpool intended to sign Wirtz, ending their pursuit of the Frenchman. Cherki, 23, subsequently joined Manchester City in a low-cost move and has since been the more productive of the two players, according to the report.
Manchester City's situation adds another layer. The club is facing sanctions from the Premier League, and the report raises the possibility that deals could be concluded for some of their leading players as a result. With Liverpool keeping their interest in Cherki alive, next summer shapes up as a pivotal moment for the Anfield No. 10 position, with a Wirtz sale and a push for Cherki among the potential outcomes.
Both players' national teams are in action in the coming days. Germany play at Greece on Sunday, Oct. 4, at 2:45 p.m. EDT at Toumba Stadium, and France host Belgium on Monday, Oct. 5, at 2:45 p.m. EDT at Stade de France.
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