Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann has defended Florian Wirtz and blamed his slow start to life at Liverpool on the creator's new team-mates. The Reds won the race to sign Wirtz over the summer, beating off competition from the likes of Bayern Munich and Manchester City to land the youngster. And Nagelsmann believes those around Wirtz at club level are to blame for his early-season struggles.

Florian Wirtz is said to be "having an awful time" at Liverpool, but the £117 million ($157m) signing has been backed to come good and "adjust to his new life off the pitch". The 22-year-old German sensation, once billed as Europe's next big thing, has failed to deliver a single goal or assist in nine appearances across all competitions for the Reds. His ordinary displays have left fans seething and many are questioning whether the Bundesliga prodigy was worth such a jaw-dropping fee.

Florian Wirtz is putting in the hard yards as he is doing extra training for Germany in a bid to kickstart his Liverpool career after a slow start to life at Anfield. Since completing a whopping £116 million ($156m) transfer from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer, Wirtz has struggled to adjust to his new surroundings and has not had a single goal involvement in the Premier League.

Florian Wirtz's Liverpool team-mates have been blamed for the £116 million ($156m) man's slow start to life at Anfield by Germany legend Rudi Voller. After joining the Reds in June on a long-term contract until at least 2030, Wirtz made a bright debut in the Community Shield, providing an assist against Crystal Palace, though Liverpool eventually lost on penalties. However, things have gone south since then.

Bayern Munich chief has claimed that the Bundesliga champions "can afford any transfer they want", while explaining why they did not compete with Liverpool for Florian Wirtz's transfer. The Reds beat Bayern and Manchester City in the race to sign Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen this summer as they paid a whopping £116 million ($156m), a British transfer record at the time.