When Liverpool broke the British transfer record to sign Florian Wirtz for £116m inclusive of add-ons, fans were understandably excited at the prospect of watching one of the best young players in the world don the famous red jersey.
However, it would be fair to say that while there is plenty of time for the 22-year-old to find his feet at Anfield, his first few months on Merseyside have been underwhelming.
That being said, the former Bayer Leverkusen star regularly shines for Germany on the international stage while simultaneously struggling to produce the same impact at club level.
With that in mind, Sports Mole takes a look at Wirtz's showing against Slovakia, and considers the reasons why he has generally been unable to replicate such displays at Liverpool.
Florian Wirtz's outstanding performance for Germany against Slovakia
Liverpool and Germany's Florian Wirtz pictured on November 14, 2025
Germany only needed a draw from their final qualifier to book their place at the 2026 World Cup, but they won their group in style by thrashing Slovakia 6-0 on Monday.
Wirtz was arguably the standout player on the night, racking up two assists for Leroy Sane as he pulled the strings for DFB-Team at Leipzig's Red Bull Arena.
The playmaker's first assist was a fantastic clipped ball from deep that found Sane's run and set him one-on-one with the goalkeeper, while his second was a precise, curled cross between two Slovakia defenders that gave the forward a tap in at the far post.
Wirtz also provided six key passes overall and generated three big chances on what was an important night for the German national side, especially considering that they were beaten 2-0 by the Falcons in the reverse fixture back in September.
Florian Wirtz under Julian Naglesmann: What is his role with Germany?
Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann pictured in action on the sidelines
With Julian Nagelsmann at the helm, Wirtz starts on the left in a 4-2-3-1 formation, from where he drifts infield and controls the flow of the game.
Premier League fans generally considered the £116m-man to be a 'number 10' upon his arrival, but he also spent much of his time under Xabi Alonso at Leverkusen playing off the left of the forward line.
In the Bundesliga, Wirtz proved to be someone that excels when involved in every phase of play, helping the team move the ball from the defence all the way to the final third, and he was often seen dropping deep and carrying possession from the left into central areas before passing out wide to the right.
Nagelsmann's Germany setup allows the 22-year-old to play in a very similar manner, and his first assist on Monday came from behind the halfway line, where he looked up to the right wing while dribbling inside from the left and used his strong technical skillset to pick out the darting run of Sane.
This passage of play was repeated several times at Red Bull Arena to great effect, with the team's system being controlled - as a result - by Wirtz's passing from the left.
Florian Wirtz under Arne Slot: Is his role with Liverpool the problem?
David Lynch YouTube image
In contrast, Arne Slot has frequently started his new number seven in a more defined attacking midfield role, while opting to line up with Cody Gakpo on the left flank.
Wirtz still makes movements infield from the left-hand side when part of Liverpool's midfield, but his involvement is far more limited and typically takes place in central zones - parts of the pitch that give the playmaker less space to work with.
In fairness to the Reds boss, international football features significantly more space than the Premier League, but asking the Germany star to play a role that differs from the one that he has grown into over the years with Leverkusen and DFB-Team has led to teething problems on Merseyside.
In the few games where Wirtz has started on the left - or moved there as a consequence of mid-game changes - he has looked more comfortable and capable on and off the ball.
The most recent example of this came against Real Madrid on November 4, when both Wirtz and Liverpool delivered one of their strongest performances of the season to beat Los Blancos 1-0 at Anfield.
However, while systemic alterations have undoubtedly had an impact on the attacker's output, it is notable that his best showings have generally been in the Champions League - against Atletico Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt and Real.
This suggests that Wirtz has some level of personal adaptation to undergo before he is equipped to make his mark to the same degree against both continental and domestic opponents, though Slot will need to find a way of playing that is better suited to his star's strengths as a fulcrum.
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