German star Florian Wirtz. (AFP)

Bayern Munich suffered a double blow: Bayer Leverkusen’s “jewel” Florian Wirtz chose Liverpool over joining the Bavarian giant, and rising striker Nick Volltmade decided to leave the Bundesliga for Newcastle United.

These two transfers would have strengthened Bayern’s squad and restored some German dominance over future talents, but both ended up in the English Premier League.

This raised a natural question: why do German talents now see the Premier League as their future?

Wirtz justified his choice by saying he chose the “harder path” in search of real development. At Liverpool, he may live in an environment based on high pressing and speed, where there is no room for rest, and every match is a test of maturity. For a young player his age, this tough test could transform him from a local star into a global star.

As for Volltmade, who led Stuttgart to win the German Cup after 18 years of absence and scored 17 goals last season, he found in Newcastle an opportunity to grow and a place that offers him enough playing time in a league full of physical and technical challenges.

Stuttgart president Alexander Wehrle said the English offer was surprising and exceeded the “German threshold” they had previously set, making the sale of the player an inevitable decision for the club’s benefit.

“Money Talks”

The football economy is the “heart of the story.” In Germany, clubs are subject to the 50+1 rule, which gives fans and members majority control and restricts external investors. This law, despite its nobility in protecting club identities, severely limits financial capacity to match English offers.

In Volltmade’s deal, Stuttgart started negotiating from 100 million euros. Bayern did not exceed 50 million, while Newcastle settled by paying 85-90 million euros.

In Wirtz’s case, Liverpool not only offered a higher financial bid of about 140 million euros but also a comprehensive package including a high salary and performance-related bonuses linked to European participation.

This highlights the contradiction: despite its greatness and strong economy, Bayern Munich is constrained by Bavarian financial balance principles and a spending cap that cannot be easily exceeded, while Premier League clubs, free from the 50+1 rule, can inject investors’ money almost freely.

Marketing also played an important role. Liverpool offers Wirtz a global platform spanning Asia to Latin America, making him an attractive commercial face. Newcastle, supported by the Saudi Investment Fund, is building a new identity based on promising talents. Volltmade’s story, “the fluid giant,” is a marketing product appealing to fans and media alike.

At a Crossroads

The loss of Wirtz and Volltmade does not reflect a technical weakness at Bayern Munich as much as a structural gap. The Bundesliga, under the 50+1 rule, maintains its popular character but loses the financial race against the Premier League, becoming a financial obstacle to attracting top talents. In an era where money drives development and marketing, it is difficult to convince talents that staying in Germany is enough to achieve their ambitions.

Bayern Munich, long the natural destination for every talented German, finds itself forced to reconsider its strategy and seek a new foundation to attract players under financial and legal constraints that prevent big deals.

Summer 2025 was not just a transfer window but a mirror of a new era. The Premier League has become the first destination for rising stars, while Bayern and the Bundesliga face a tough question: is heritage and tradition enough to face investors’ money and the allure of global marketing? The answer seems clear in the eyes of Wirtz and Volltmade.