Borussia Dortmund’s Chief Executive Officer, Hans-Joachim Watzke, has said Florian Wirtz’s £116m transfer would have been “better for the Bundesliga” if he had joined Bayern Munich instead of Liverpool.
As reported by WerkselfXtra on X via Kicker, Watzke has criticised the move to Anfield, saying:“It’s a real shame that a player like Florian Wirtz is leaving the Bundesliga. I wouldn’t have had a problem at all if he had gone to FC Bayern. That would have been better for the Bundesliga.”
His comments have raised eyebrows, particularly given Dortmund’s long-standing struggles with Bayern regularly snapping up their best players – including Robert Lewandowski, Mario Gotze and Mats Hummels.
Rather than welcome the fact that German talent is being valued on a wider European stage, Watzke’s response has come across as contradictory.
The 22-year-old Germany international is expected to arrive on Merseyside for a medical this week after an agreement ona package worth £116m with Leverkusen, including £16m in add-ons.
He scored 16 goals and registered 15 assists in 2024/25 and was named Bundesliga Player of the Year during the previous two campaigns.
