Former Chelsea midfielder, Michael Ballack, has shed light on Florian Wirtz’s record-breaking transfer to Liverpool, claiming the Bundesliga has lost its appeal to top talents.
Wirtz, 22, completed a sensational £116 million switch from Bayer Leverkusen to Anfield this summer, briefly setting a British transfer record before Alexander Isak’s big-money move to Newcastle.
Speaking to BILD, Ballack explained that the Germany international’s choice was not only influenced by money but also by the perceived decline of the German top flight.
“English clubs can offer crazy sums,” Ballack said when quizzed about Bayern Munich’s failure to land both Wirtz and striker Nick Woltemade. “Bayern were willing to push a package close to €100 million for Wirtz, but it wasn’t enough.
“With Woltemade, it’s another story. Bayern operates with strict financial discipline, avoiding debt and growing sustainably. That’s why they wouldn’t go beyond €55 million. The club simply didn’t value him higher than that.”