Florian Wirtz has been in questionable form since he joined Liverpool in the summer.
The attacking midfielder was expected to revolutionise the Reds’ midfield and fill the creative void left by Trent Alexander-Arnold, but unfortunately, his time at Anfield hasn’t gone that way.
Indeed, Arne Slot may have figured out that he performs much better when used on the wing, but since the Reds already have Mohamed Salah, Federico Chiesa, Cody Gakpo, and even Hugo Ekitike, who can play there, there’s not much room for him on the wing either.
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Despite all of this, Liverpool chose to spend £116 million on Wirtz, and because of this, the Reds need to find a way to include him in their plans.
Brentford v Liverpool - Premier League
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
This is likely why the 22-year-old has been used in several different positions already this season, with Ally McCoist now sharing what he’s noticed the German’s main problem is.
Florian Wirtz struggles to find space when teams are compact
One thing that Wirtz had in the Bundesliga that he doesn’t have in the Premier League is time.
The games in England’s top flight are much faster-paced, which means that they have a lot less time to choose what their next move is going to be.
In Germany, Wirtz also thrived as a number 10 because low-blocks aren’t as common in the Bundesliga as they are in the Premier League.
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Each of these minor details will be affecting Wirtz’s game with McCoist now sharing what he thinks the German’s biggest problem is at the moment.
“Wirtz again is another one, I’ve been watching him closely,” he said while live on TNT Sports.
“Against teams that are compact he struggles to find the pockets to play in. It’s not a lack of effort, the better the opposition, I think, the easier it will be for Wirtz, because they will be more open against them.”
Florian Wirtz must prove why Liverpool spent £116 million on him before it’s too late
Although Wirtz’s performance against Real was fairly impressive, it’s going to be hard for him to lock down the left wing as his own due to Slot’s affinity with Gakpo.
The freedom that the German gets when used on the wing is second to none, and Liverpool’s fans were able to see how good he could eventually be for them.
However, if Gakpo goes back into the starting XI in their game against Manchester City, it’s hard to see where Wirtz would fit, especially with the solidity that the Reds’ midfield three has brought them over the last couple of weeks.
Florian Wirtz of Liverpool during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD4 match between Liverpool FC and Real Madrid C.F. at Anfield.
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
So, with this in mind, if Wirtz can’t give Slot a reason to fit him into his starting XI, fans may start to question why Liverpool chose to spend £116 million on him.
This would be far from ideal and proves why the German needs to be at his best to prove to fans that his transfer wasn’t a waste of money.