A closer look at Florian Wirtz's current situation at Liverpool - and why a new plan might just have emerged for the £116m man
Florian Wirtz of Liverpool plays during the UEFA Champions League match between Liverpool and Real Madrid at Anfield in Liverpool, England, on November 4, 2025. (Photo by Steven Halliwell/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
View Image
To hear the story told by those with knowledge of how events unfolded in the summer, it was Arne Slot's detailed tactical plan that allowed Liverpool to beat Manchester City and Bayern Munich to Florian Wirtz's signature.
Having accepted that Wirtz had no interest in signing a new deal at the club, Bayer Leverkusen allowed the Germany international to speak to the clubs in the running, likely out of respect for his efforts in helping them a Bundesliga title the previous year.
"The Wirtz family and Florian knew that extending their contracts was our top priority," Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro said this week. "We were very cautious with salaries during the summer transfers.
"But we would have been prepared to make an exception for Florian. Definitely in a range that Bayer Leverkusen has never seen before. We were prepared to cross the line and give everything to extend the contract.
"And for a while, it looked like it might work out. I know that we sometimes pestered him too much. In the end, Florian decided for himself what he wanted to do."
City, according to the reports at the time, dropped out of the race in early May, privately admitting that the cost of the package to bring Wirtz in was too high.
That left just Liverpool and Bayern jostling for position before a decision was made the same week the Reds were preparing to host Crystal Palace before lifting the Premier League title in the final fixture of the campaign on May 25.
Wirtz was said to have been blown away by the level of detail planned for him by Slot, with the player's father and representative, Hans, saying: "It was important that Arne Slot spoke to Florian and explained his value to him, also his value for the future team and how he envisions the cooperation. And that convinced Florian.
"It was also exciting for him to join a team that has certainly grown and had one or two new signings in addition to him. And in a corresponding quality. All that was exciting for him."
So far, though, it's fair to say that blueprint has yet to be properly put into practice on the pitch. The attacking midfielder has made just six starts of the 10 games so far and the physicality of English football has likely been the biggest adjustment so far. Wirtz has won just 24 of his 73 duels in the combative Premier League and is yet to create an assist or score a goal.
"The insane speed, the back and forth, that was very impressive for the first few games," says Hans Wirtz. "That the distances and the speed were much greater (than in the Bundesliga). But the way the game is played is sometimes enormously different, because it doesn't seem so organized, but is more geared towards speed."
After six defeats in seven across all competitions and four successive reverses in the Premier League - a statistic that was last seen as far back as 2009 - Slot went back to his tried-and-trusted midfield trio of Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch for last week's 2-0 win over Aston Villa.
They were retained for Tuesday night's 1-0 triumph over Real Madrid in the Champions League with Wirtz asked to fill in on the left side of the front three and given license to roam.
It was a tactical tweak that paid dividends, with the Germany star involved in a lot of the attacking moves in front of a more durable midfield that afforded the defence more protection.
Wirtz was perpetual motion against his former manager Xabi Alonso's side, running 11.3 kilometres in total to help keep Madrid penned back and if last season's midfield looks to have given Liverpool a foothold at an important juncture of the season, the potential of using the £116m summer signing off the left is one that can yield results alongside it.
“What I can say about Florian is that since Xabi came in (at Leverkusen) he was mainly used in a 3-4-3 system as an inverted winger where before that he mainly played as a 10," Slot said on Friday. "In the national team he plays as an inverted winger as well.
“For me the only challenge I have is making sure he gets in those positions as an inverted winger or as a 10, in those positions in and around the 18-yard box where his team-mates need to find him in the right timing, because then he will always produce special things. He does this for the national team, he did it for Leverkusen and he’s already done that for us as well."
Slot sprung a tactical surprise at the Etihad in February, starting without a recognised No.9 and using four midfielders instead with Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz on the right and left flanks, respectively, while Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones were encouraged to choose their moments to attack.
The result was a 2-0 win where City, while being dominant in the possession numbers, were effectively nullified and while Slot has more frontline options this time around with Hugo Ekitike and a fit-again Alexander Isak to choose from, the idea of Wirtz as a 'false 9' in Manchester might appeal given his work-rate and ability to look after the ball in possession.
"With Flo, don't worry, you guys will enjoy him soon," former Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface tells Flashscore. "We all know how brilliant the guy is. I understand why there's a lot of talk coming.
"But trust me, Flo is a wonderful guy and player. He is hardworking, and soon people will see the real him. He will deliver, and I am rooting for him."
"Florian now played off the left [against Real Madrid]," Slot added on Friday. "But I can tell you if it is not this season it is the other season or if it is not now it is tomorrow, he will have great performances as a midfielder for Liverpool as well."
Wirtz says: “Of course I am familiar with this position but I can also play just in the middle, in the 10 or on the left, and I just try to always give my best and to be important for the team.
“I think I have already a good connection with my teammates on the pitch. Of course the numbers are not there now but I just try to give my best every game – that’s what I always do – and I’m happy that I can create some chances.
“Hopefully in the next weeks and months we can score more but I am just trying to help the team with my strengths.”
With a five-year deal signed at the age of 22, the idea of a Wirtz as Liverpool's centerpiece - marauding as the central attacking midfielder that was sold to him by Slot - is a tantalising one that has plenty of time to develop into the reality.
For now, though, Tuesday's performance on the left, and the result that accompanied it, has opened up a new lane for the second most expensive signing of all time at Anfield to travel down for now.