Oliver Bierhoff believes Florian Wirtz could leave Liverpool for Barcelona, saying the Germany midfielder would thrive alongside the Spanish club’s “fantastic teammates”.
Wirtz joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for £116M in the summer of 2025. He has since scored seven goals and provided 11 assists in 55 appearances for the Reds.
The 23-year-old has faced sustained criticism from pundits and supporters during a mixed beginning to his Liverpool career. His performances have shown flashes of world-class quality, but he has also been questioned over his inconsistency and his ability to cope with the physical demands of the Premier League.
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp defended Wirtz this week after the midfielder produced an impressive display for Germany against Serbia.
“Our style of play suits Flo Wirtz. I don’t even know what Flo has to do right to make everyone happy. Everyone in Liverpool should be happy today,” Klopp said.
However, Bierhoff has suggested that Wirtz could consider a move away from Anfield and identified Barcelona as a club where he would be well suited.
“Wirtz would fit in well, for example, at Hansi Flick’s Barcelona, where he’ll have space and fantastic teammates,” said Bierhoff.
“(He) is a world-class player who now needs to prove it once again with consistent performances and by making his mark.”
Barcelona are managed by Hansi Flick, who previously coached Wirtz with the Germany national team. Bierhoff believes the midfielder could benefit from the space and quality available in the Spanish side.
Spain manager Luis de la Fuente also praised Wirtz earlier this month, describing him as “fantastic” while saying it was unfortunate that he did not hold a Spanish passport.
De la Fuente works with several Barcelona players in the Spain squad, including Pau Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, Ferran Torres, Pedri, Fermin Lopez, Dani Olmo and Lamine Yamal.
Those players could potentially be Wirtz’s team-mates at club level if the Germany international were able to change his nationality, although the suggestion remains focused on a hypothetical move from Liverpool to Barcelona.
