Bayern Munich have reportedly entered the race to sign a key Liverpool player that new Reds manager Arne Slot is determined to keep, after the German giants missed out on landing Florian Wirtz.
Liverpool beat Bayern to the signing of Wirtz, completing a record-breaking deal for the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder that could total £116 million with add-ons. The move followed the acquisition of right-back Jeremie Frimpong and the imminent arrival of left-back Milos Kerkez, as Liverpool look to strengthen their squad ahead of next season’s Premier League title defence.
Wirtz had been widely expected to join Bayern, following the trend of top Bundesliga talents moving to Munich after a title-winning season — in his case, helping Leverkusen dethrone Bayern in 2023-24 under Xabi Alonso. However, his move to Anfield has forced Bayern to explore alternative targets.
According to Liverpool.com, Bayern manager Vincent Kompany has now turned his attention to Liverpool winger Luis Díaz, with Barcelona also showing interest. Díaz is reportedly keen to stay at Anfield and extend his current contract, which has two years remaining, and Arne Slot is said to support that outcome.
Bayern had also pursued Nico Williams, who appears bound for Barcelona, and Real Madrid’s Rodrygo, but with those options off the table, their focus has shifted to Díaz, as well as PSG’s Bradley Barcola and Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Bynoe-Gittens.
Despite their ongoing Club World Cup campaign in the United States — which saw them thrash Auckland City 10-0 and narrowly defeat Boca Juniors — Bayern’s recruitment team remains active. Their final group match against Benfica will determine whether they top the group, though Benfica only need a draw to guarantee first place.
