Speaking on the Sport1 programme Doppelpass (via Sky Germany), Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro has revealed the club tried to keep Florian Wirtz in the summer.
Leverkusen’s plan with Wirtz:
Before the Köln native’s move to the Premier League, there were rumours that he could potentially extend his contract at Leverkusen, with a release clause inserted in the deal. Carro opened up on the matter:
“We were cautious with the salaries of our new signings and didn’t want any imbalance. But with Florian, we would have been prepared to make an exception. To a level that Bayer 04 Leverkusen had never seen before,”
Later adding:
“In the end, Bayern and Liverpool can pay much more, but it would have been an exceptional level for Bayer Leverkusen. We were prepared to cross a line to extend his contract,”
Wirtz’s decision to move to England:
The 22-year-old was at the centre of a transfer saga between Liverpool and Bayern Munich before he ultimately decided to move to the Premier League champions. Carro revealed part of Wirtz’s reasoning for moving to England:
“In the end, Florian decided for himself what he wanted to do. He alone, as a player. He doesn’t have any external advisors. His parents fully respect Florian’s wishes. He’s someone who wants to win the Champions League . We won the German championship, but he saw that the Champions League would be difficult with Leverkusen.”
Since his move to England, Wirtz has had a slow start as he adapts to a new league and team. After an assist in the Community Shield against Crystal Palace, the 22-year-old has shown flashes of his skill and provided two assists in the Champions League 5-1 win against Eintracht Frankfurt.
GGFN | Jack Meenan
