Bayern Munich’s long standing interest in Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz has long been one of the most open secrets in german football. But so is Leverkusen’s refusal to sell players to Bayern Munich. While even clubs such as Borussia Dortmund, Lawn ballsport Leipzig and VFB Stuttgart have lost key players to the Bavarian giants in the past decade, Bayer Leverkusen have not succumbed to losing a player from their senior team in a permanent transfer to Bayern since center back Lúcio’s move back in 2004.
Ergo, the Rekordmeister’s inevitable move for Wirtz, to sign their first player from the Leverkusen first team since O Cavalo, will be made that much more difficult by Bayer Leverkusen’s stubborn refusal to sell. Nor has this this resolve dissolved over time, as exemplified by recent quotes from Bayer Leverkusen’s CEO, Fernando Carro:
“It is, of course, self-evident that we do not want to strengthen direct competitors in our own league with top players,” Carro explained, as captured by Florian Plettenberg. “I also said that directly to [recent Bayern target] Jonathan Tah. I understand if you want to leave, but I would have preferred any club other than one in Germany.”
Though Carro does not mention Bayern by name, it is not difficult to read between the lines. Bayern will face a tough fight in convincing Florian Wirtz to join them, as big clubs such as Real Madrid and Manchester City are also reportedly in the fray for the player’s signature. But the fight to convince Bayer Leverkusen to let Wirtz join Bayern promises to be even more difficult, if not impossible.
