Florian Wirtz’s former Bayer Leverkusen team-mate has discussed the Liverpool attacking midfielder’s form.
Bayern Munich defender Jonathan Tah has no doubt that Florian Wirtz will light up the Premier League for years to come.
The attacking midfielder has been in barnstorming form for Liverpool of late. He has fired six goals in his past 10 appearances and was named the Premier League Player of the Month for January.
Wirtz moved to the Reds for a fee of £100 million - which could rise to £116 million - from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer transfer window. The 22-year-old arrived as one of the best prospects in Europe. He plundered 57 goals and 65 assists in 197 appearances for Leverkusen and played a talismanic role when Xabi Alonso’s side won the Bundesliga title and DFB-Pokal in the 2023-24 season.
Tah played alongside Wirtz at Die Werkself, while they are set to represent Germany at this summer’s World Cup. Tah revealed that the former Cologne man’s soft launch to his Liverpool career was not expected. But the current Bayern Munich centre-back is convinced that Wirtz will continue to get even better.
What’s been said
Speaking to ESPN, Tah said: “It was really interesting for me. We talked a lot during that time and now as well. I know how it was for him. Obviously, the start wasn't what he expected, what everybody expected but I think it was good for him to learn; not only as a player to adapt to everything but his personality.
“He will learn from that. Now he is doing good but I think you will see even more of him. The Premier League is going to see the Florian Wirtz during the next months or years he's going to be there. He is still going to improve.”
Wirtz has increased his muscle mass at Liverpool’s training ground to help acclimatise to the physicality of the Premier League. The Reds will be hoping he can deliver another influential performance when they welcome Manchester City to Anfield on Sunday.
Slot on Wirtz’s progress
On Wirtz’s progress, head coach Arne Slot said at his pre-match press conference: “I think it's all, first and foremost, always credit to the player because he has to do the work not only on the pitch, also in the gym. And then as a manager, even if he is maybe physically struggling a little bit in the start, you need to keep on playing him because that's the only way players can improve. He is an example of that where I had many of them this season. So, I think he did not even improve that much on the ball because from the start he was special on the ball.
“Maybe now he has a better connection with his teammates because he played more and more together. That's also what you get if you play them more and more together. But off the ball I see the biggest improvement with him and with some others. That combination makes you ready for the Premier League, because the Premier League is about both. It's not only on the ball, it's also definitely off the ball.”
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