A prominent German journalist has launched an impassioned defence of struggling Liverpool signing Florian Wirtz, and taken aim at jealous ex-Manchester United stars for their perceived unjust criticism. The Reds' blockbuster summer signing from Bayer Leverkusen has also been tipped to become the biggest star in the Premier League despite his slow start at Anfield.
Florian Wirtz has been compared to Luka Modric, with Liverpool's struggling £116m signing being backed to silence his doubters just as the former Real Madrid midfielder did. Wirtz was considered one of the brightest midfield talents in the world at Bayer Leverkusen, but the Germany international has experienced a major dip in form since moving to the Premier League.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot quipped after Sunday's 3-0 loss at Manchester City that the very best time to judge a team is at the end of the season. "The next best time," the Dutchman argued, "is after 19 games, because then you've all faced the same opponents." However, we don't really need to wait until the halfway point of the Premier League campaign to determine whether Liverpool are capable of retaining their title. The Reds' race is already run after five dreadful defeats in 11 games.
Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann has defended Florian Wirtz following his underwhelming start to life at Liverpool after signing for the Reds in a deal worth £116 million. Wirtz came in for fresh criticism following Liverpool's 3-0 defeat to Manchester City on Sunday, but Nagelsmann feels the team's strikers could help out by finishing some of the chances the German star creates.
Florian Wirtz's dad claimed that the player's entourage is "perfectly happy" as he weighed in on his son's early struggles at Liverpool. The 22-year-old German was billed as the next great creative force as he was once the crown jewel of Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen side that swept to a historic Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double. However, since he swapped Bay Arena for Anfield, his attacking output has seen an abysmal fall.
Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro is in no doubt: Florian Wirtz "definitely" would have joined Real Madrid rather than Liverpool during the summer had he been offered the chance to follow Xabi Alonso to Santiago Bernabeu. "But Xabi has less say at Madrid than he did with us," Carro pointed out in an interview with Sport1. "One of Alonso's greatest strengths was his ability to work with our scouting department to define who needed to be in our team, but Florentino Perez decides the transfers at Madrid - not Xabi Alonso."
Arsene Wenger has proclaimed that Florian Wirtz has "destroyed" Liverpool's title-winning midfield, with the Arsenal legend putting the blame on the £116 million ($154m) man for the Reds' struggles in this campaign. The former manager suggested that the club bent over backwards to accommodate his transfer demands and have paid the price for it ever since.
Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso says it is just a "matter of time" before Florian Wirtz delivers for Liverpool after a tough start to life at Anfield. The Germany international swapped Bayer Leverkusen for the Reds in a £116 million deal in the summer but so far he has flattered to deceive for Arne Slot's team. Ahead of a reunion with ex-Leverkusen boss Alonso, the Spaniard has backed the 22-year-old to come good.
'The Bundesliga Tax'. It's a phrase that has become more prominent amongst supporters over the past decade or so, used to describe the growing trend of players who have lit up the German top-flight who have been sold to Premier League clubs for big money, only to fail to replicate that same form when arriving in England.
Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro has suggested that Liverpool were not Florian Wirtz’s first choice when it came to a big-money transfer, with the Germany international favouring a switch to Spanish giants Real Madrid. He is, however, at Anfield after completing a £116 million ($152m) move that briefly broke recruitment records in Great Britain.
Liverpool have been warned that Florian Wirtz could leave in January, as Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso is keeping tabs on his former Bayer Leverkusen apprentice. The German arrived at Anfield amid huge fanfare this summer for a staggering £116 million ($153m). The 22-year-old was supposed to be the creative spark to define Arne Slot’s new era. But ten games into his English journey, the German wonderkid is already under the microscope for his ordinary performances, and the pressure is mounting fast.
Dimitar Berbatov has thrown his weight behind Liverpool's struggling star Florian Wirtz and insisted that the German will emerge as an "unbelievable" player for the Reds. The 22-year-old, who was hailed as one of Europe’s brightest playmakers at Bayer Leverkusen, endured another difficult weekend in the Premier League as he was subbed off late during Liverpool’s 3-2 defeat at Brentford, extending a run of sub-par performances.
Liverpool full-back Andy Robertson has leapt to the defence of his new team-mate Florian Wirtz, who has come under increasing scrutiny after struggling to make a significant impact since his £116 million ($154.4m) switch from Bayer Leverkusen. Robertson has pointed to a number of key impacts made by Wirtz and made a bold prediction about the remainder of the season.
Florian Wirtz's big-money move to Liverpool has hit early turbulence, with Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand claiming the German midfielder may already be questioning whether he made the right choice. The £116 million ($155m) signing, who turned down Bayern Munich and Manchester City, has endured a mixed start to life under Arne Slot at Anfield.
Liverpool’s class of 2025 have earned an unfavourable comparison to the Paris Saint-Germain team that once boasted Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe. The Reds have assembled a star-studded cast of their own at Anfield, splashing out £240 million ($320m) on deals for Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, but are still waiting for their fearsome attacking unit to click.
