Wirtz's dad reveals what made £116m signing snub Bayern Munich for Liverpool

Florian Wirtz was at the centre of a tug-of-war between Liverpool and Bayern Munich before deciding to join the Premier League champions for a record-breaking £116million

Florian Wirtz's dad has revealed that Arne Slot was a key factor in his son choosing Liverpool over Bayern Munich. Wirtz, 22, had been courted by Bayern for many years, having shone for Bundesliga rivals Bayer Leverkusen either side of a devastating cruciate ligament injury in 2022.

But the Leverkusen star ended up snubbing the German giants in favour of Liverpool, who broke the British transfer record to secure a £116million deal. Wirtz has signed a long-term contract - understood to run for five years - and the forward soon be strutting his stuff in the Premier League, as the Reds begin their title defence at home to Bournemouth on Friday, August 15.

A 'decisive' reason why Liverpool beat Bayern to his signature was Slot. In addition, Wirtz and his family were impressed by the club's AXA Training Centre in Kirkby.

"Arne Slot presented his playing philosophy, the team tactics in possession and pressing, and how Florian can develop his strengths in these areas," his dad, Hans, told Der Spiegel. "This made a decisive impression on Florian. The training conditions in Liverpool were also totally impressive."

Hans is also a fan of the Liverpool manager, adding: "Arne Slot has impressed Florian on the pitch. He's also a very pleasant person. "Florian's best coaches have always been those who gave him plenty 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."

Rejecting Bayern wasn't easy, though, especially after club legend and honorary president Uli Hoeness made a kind gesture to Wirtz following his ACL injury. "The situation with Bayern was difficult because Uli Hoeness and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge made incredible efforts and also clearly analysed the sporting possibilities," he continued.

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"I have the greatest respect for Uli Hoeness and his lifetime achievements. After Florian's cruciate ligament tear in 2022, he selflessly helped us quickly get an appointment for the surgery in Innsbruck.

"We are still grateful to him for that. That's why the final phone call with Uli Hoeness was very difficult for me. We had spoken several times beforehand, so he was as objective and fair as I'd ever known him.

"But of course, he couldn't hide his disappointment. After all, he had personally worked hard to secure this transfer."