Michael Ballack pulls no punches on Florian Wirtz to Liverpool transfer: 'Made no sense'

Michael Ballack has thrown his support behind Florian Wirtz's decision to join Liverpool, claiming that a move to Bayern Munich would've made 'no sense'. Wirtz, 22, opted for the switch to Anfield despite keen interest from Bayern in his homeland as well as from Manchester City.

Liverpool paid Bayer Leverkusen a cool £116million for the Germany international, a new British record which stood for less than two months before Arne Slot's side broke it again with the £125m signing of Alexander Isak. Wirtz has received lukewarm reviews for his start to life at Anfield, failing to register a goal or assist in three Premier League games.

But during the international break, the playmaker reminded fans just what he can do with a stunning free-kick in Germany's 3-1 win against Northern Ireland. Ballack, who left Leverkusen to join Bayern in 2006, wasn't surprised to see Wirtz go in a different direction, bemoaning the gulf between the Bundesliga and Premier League.

"Would it have made sense for [Wirtz] and his development to play another two or three years in the Bundesliga with Bayern?" Ballack asked Sport Bild. "Of course, he would win championships there.

"But is the Bundesliga still the ultimate challenge for him at the highest level? No, because the Bundesliga was left behind by the Premier League years ago.

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"That's the reality. That's why it is generally no longer as attractive for the absolute top players. That's why changes are necessary."

Ballack's comments echo what Bayern manager Vincent Kompany said regarding Wirtz's decision to reject them. The Bundesliga champions also wanted to sign Stuttgart striker Nick Woltemade before Newcastle gazumped their bids and snapped up the highly-rated German forward in a £65m deal last month.

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"It simply says a lot when you see how many top players have moved from the Bundesliga to the Premier League in the last 12 months and also in this transfer window, the sums of money that are flowing there," Kompany lamented. "The Premier League has brutal opportunities.

"Not just one, two, or three clubs, many clubs. Newcastle is a good club, but not in the top tier. The amount of money circulating there is enormous. How much money has flowed from the Premier League to the Bundesliga, but also how much quality has moved to the Premier League."

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