Florian Wirtz told he 'damages' Liverpool as Wayne Rooney delivers brutal verdict on £116m summer signing

Wirtz surprisingly dropped to the bench for Liverpool’s first Merseyside derby of the season against neighbours Everton and has been subbed off in every one of his starts for the Reds in all competitions, with little impact being made. He is still waiting on a first goal and assist after eight appearances.

Expectations were high when the 22-year-old made his way to Liverpool, with a talismanic role being taken up with Bayer Leverkusen - a side he helped to Bundesliga title glory in 2024 and registered 34 goals for across his last two seasons in Germany. Time is still on his side when it comes to making a decisive contribution at Anfield. He is no longer the most expensive player in Britain, so does not have to contend with that added pressure, as club colleague Alexander Isak inherited that standing when completing a £125m ($168m) switch from Newcastle.

Amid questions of where Wirtz fits into the bigger picture at Anfield, with Slot blessed with plenty of alternative options in the midfield department, former Manchester United and Everton star Rooney has suggested that the highly-rated German actually makes Liverpool weaker.

The ex-England captain told The Wayne Rooney Show podcast: “It's been tough for him. I don't think there's any denying that. He's played OK. When you sign so many players like Liverpool have - Liverpool don't normally do this but they've signed basically a whole new frontline, and then you've got [Mohamed] Salah there as well - they're all competing and they all want to do well. Wirtz is probably the one who's not doing as well, but he's got so much ability.

"I don't see where he gets into the team. I think it was a lot of money. I think Wirtz actually damages the balance of Liverpool and how they play. He's a top player and I'm sure he will get better - but he's had a slow start and I think there's no denying that.

“I've seen players come into this league and it takes time. It's not the price tag. It's not the player or his ability. I don't see where he fits into what Liverpool do in that system. Is he a third midfield player? For me, no, he's more of an attacking player. So if I have to choose between him and [Dominik] Szoboszlai, then I choose Szoboszlai.”

Wirtz has admitted to enduring difficulties settling in new surroundings, telling Sky Deutschland of that process: “Of course I would have liked to have scored a goal or collected a few points. But no matter what anyone says, I'm staying cool. I don't want to constantly hear ‘give it time, give it time’. Instead, I simply try to do it better each time than before.

“Sometimes there are just phases where things aren't going well for you. I haven't had that very often in my career. Once I get through it - that might be harsh, because I'm not playing badly, I just haven't got the points (goals and assists) yet - it will come at some point, and then everything will be fine.”

Wirtz’s next opportunity to impress, potentially opening his account on the goal contribution front along the way, could come in a Champions League clash with Galatasaray on Tuesday. Liverpool are readying themselves for a European fixture in the most hostile of atmospheres. Trips to Istanbul are never easy, but the Reds need their expensive German playmaker to start delivering on the grandest of stages as there is only so long that they can wait for a missing spark to be found.