Bayer Leverkusen superstar Florian Wirtz has tacitly confirmed that he is looking to join Liverpool by rubbishing suggestions that he wants to take Alexis Mac Allister’s No.10 shirt at Anfield.
In the age of social media, silly season quickly becomes an all-encompassing phenomenon that even manages to find its way into the dressing rooms of football clubs.
Liverpool’s interest in Germany international Wirtz is currently a topic that dominates the headlines as the Reds are in talks over a club and Premier League-record deal. Leverkusen have rebuffed two offers worth €100 million and €130m as they are holding out for a whopping €150m.
Naturally, such a massive transfer generates plenty of interest – and speculation. On Monday, Wirtz became the subject of a bizarre rumour when Sky Germany claimed that he ‘would like to wear the number 10 shirt at Liverpool.’
The problem with this, of course, is that this shirt number is already occupied by World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister, who has become an eminently important player for the Reds since his arrival in 2023.
Wirtz bites back at Liverpool claim
The reports of this potential clash over a seemingly trivial matter have managed to reach the Germany camp, where Wirtz is currently preparing for a Nations League semi-final clash with Portugal.
On Tuesday evening, the 22-year-old felt compelled to bite back at this rumour, and in doing so, he tacitly confirmed his desire to join Liverpool. “Who says I want the 10?,” Wirtz asked in an Instagram story. “I respect players. Don’t believe everything [that is] written.”
Instead of downplaying his links with the Reds, Wirtz instead focused on the number controversy. This is not a huge surprise, though, given that his transfer saga has played out in such a public manner.
Wirtz’s teammates, too, have made no effort to conceal that he is looking to join Liverpool, with Germany captain Joshua Kimmich recently expressing his disappointment that the Leverkusen star turned down Bayern in favour of a move to Anfield.
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