Florian Wirtz arrived at Anfield this summer in a blaze of anticipation, hailed as one of Europe’s brightest young attacking talents and signed for a staggering £116m. Yet, after nine appearances in red, Liverpool fans and pundits alike are beginning to ask the same question: why hasn’t the German prodigy clicked yet?
Wirtz’s early form has been described as underwhelming. He is yet to score a goal for Liverpool and his only assist came in the Community Shield defeat to Crystal Palace. Former England striker Wayne Rooney went so far as to claim that the 22-year-old “damages the balance” of Arne Slot’s evolving side.
But beneath the surface statistics lies a more complex story. Wirtz has not been poor; rather, he has been deployed in roles and situations that minimise his strengths, while also being asked to adapt to the unforgiving pace of the Premier League.
A team in transition
Liverpool are in the midst of a tactical overhaul under Slot. With Trent Alexander-Arnold sidelined, the manager has sought to replicate aspects of his Feyenoord system: more rotations, more play through the middle, and heavy reliance on quick interchanges in tight spaces.
In this setup, Wirtz has often been tasked with dropping deeper to collect the ball, a job that once belonged to Alexander-Arnold and occasionally Virgil van Dijk. While Wirtz’s technical ability allows him to shoulder this responsibility, it drags him away from the areas of the pitch where he is most dangerous – closer to goal, between the lines, and driving at defenders.
The result? A technically gifted playmaker stuck playing deeper than he should, sacrificing attacking output for build-up duties.
The Grealish comparison
At Bayer Leverkusen, Wirtz thrived in positions where he could isolate defenders, receive with separation, and drive into space. Much like Jack Grealish at his best, he excelled when he had room to run, feint, and accelerate past his marker.
But in the Premier League, against compact and aggressive defences, those spaces have been harder to find. Crystal Palace and similar sides have restricted him to crowded central areas, limiting his ability to turn and attack.
The solution may lie in returning him to a left-sided or advanced attacking midfield role, where he can be fed early and encouraged to carry the ball into space.
Physical adaptation
Another hurdle for Wirtz has been the sheer physical demand of English football. Slot’s Liverpool press relentlessly, with attackers expected to counter-press immediately when possession is lost. Wirtz has embraced this challenge, covering more ground per 90 minutes than any of his team-mates so far.
However, that energy expenditure has consequences. His decision-making and execution in the final third have sometimes been dulled by fatigue, as he admits himself. “I need a lot of strength and energy for the pressing,” Wirtz told Sky Sports Germany. “When I have the ball, I might be lacking a little bit. That will come step by step.”
The contrast with his time at Leverkusen is striking. In the Bundesliga, Wirtz could conserve energy by jogging or walking during build-up phases, saving his bursts for decisive attacking moments. At Liverpool, the margin for rest is smaller.
The way forward
Liverpool’s challenge now is to optimise Wirtz’s role. Pairing him with industrious midfielders like Dominik Szoboszlai could free him to conserve energy for key attacking actions. Curtis Jones, capable of handling build-up responsibilities, may also allow Wirtz to push higher up the pitch.
Patience will be required. Expensive signings inevitably face heightened scrutiny, but Slot knows that building chemistry within a new-look Liverpool will take time.
Calling Wirtz a flop after just two months would be premature. He has shown flashes of his immense quality, particularly in transitional moments where space opens up. The task for Slot and Liverpool is to refine their system so that Wirtz is not compensating for weaknesses elsewhere, but instead playing to his strengths.
If that balance is struck, the story of Liverpool’s season could be the emergence of Wirtz not as a misfit, but as the creative heartbeat of a team in transition.
