Xabi Alonso plans stunning Liverpool raid for Florian Wirtz as first Chelsea move
Ciaran McCarthy
New Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso remains a 'huge' fan of Florian Wirtz and wants to raid Chelsea for the German playmaker this summer, reports Football Insider.
When Wirtz left Bayer Leverkusen, he had three main clubs after him. Liverpool, where he ended up, Real Madrid, where former boss Alonso was, and Bayern Munich, the biggest side in his native Germany.
The other two were blown away by the Reds' willingness to pay a full package of £116.5million for the playmaker, who had a shocking start before coming into his own.
He might not yet have justified his price tag, but Wirtz has at least put in some quality performances, and Liverpool will be looking to him to fill the void Mohamed Salah leaves.
But if Chelsea get their way, there won't be chance for that, as it's reported Alonso remains a 'huge' fan of Wirtz and is keen for the Blues to raid the Anfield outfit for him.
Amid Chelsea's strong interest in Wirtz, it's reported Liverpool would be willing to let him go for the right deal.
It is not clear what fee would constitute the right deal for the Blues, but their Premier League rivals would surely want to earn back somewhere close to their original outlay.
Wirtz was a superstar under Alonso
It's not a surprise that Alonso remains a huge fan of Wirtz, despite an underwhelming debut Liverpool season that saw him score five goals and assist three in the Premier League.
Indeed, only three players have more appearances under Alonso, Wirtz is out on his own for assists under the Spaniard, with 43 to Jeremie Frimpong's 33, while striker Patrik Schick only just has him beaten on goals - 41 to 38.
Wirtz was the absolute linchpin in Alonso's Bayern side, with the player directed through him, helping him to amass so many goals and assists.
It worked for the club, too, with Leverkusen winning both the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal in 2023-24. In 2025, Wirtz was named Leverkusen's player of the year.
With Alonso wanting to put his own spin on the Chelsea side, it's not surprising that he wants to bring the best player statistically he has ever managed to the club.
For Wirtz, moving back into a system suited for him, rather than having to share the limelight with players already established as stars at Liverpool, Salah particularly last season, could be good for him.
But with some big names in the squad at Chelsea, Cole Palmer a good example given the pair play in the same position, there could be a question over how effective Wirtz could be.
