Florian Wirtz has started to show what he can do for Liverpool in 2026 and Julian Nagelsmann has backed him to continue rediscovering his form in the Premier League
Florian Wirtz
Florian Wirtz has turned his form around at Liverpool after a slow start(Image: Getty Images)
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Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann has claimed that Florian Wirtz will be a better player in the future after going through a tough adaptation to life at Liverpool. The playmaker moved to Anfield for a club record fee worth £116million.
His start to life in the Premier League saw him go 13 league games without a goal or assist. Since the festive period, Wirtz has shown signs of rediscovering his form from Bayer Leverkusen, scoring six and creating eight.
A back problem has forced him to sit out of the wins over Nottingham Forest and West Ham United. He's also expected to miss this week's games against Wolves in the league and FA Cup.
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Nagelsmann has been discussing the German talent performing in the Premier League recently and Wirtz's name was brought up. The former Bayern Munich boss defended the criticism directed at the Liverpool star, insisting he will continue to shine after a tough start.
"When the whole world is writing that hundreds of millions of euros have been spent on a 'flop', you take the first step to combat the perception," he said. "This experience was more valuable for his development than if he had scored eight goals and provided 10 assists right from the start.
"He joined a top team at the same time three other stars did. Everyone was fighting to claim their place, he got through it and I tip my cap to him. What he accomplished there was not easy and this experience of his will help us on the national team."
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Unfortunately, Wirtz won't have the opportunity to continue his fine start to 2026 against the league's worst team. The Reds travel to Molineux to face Wolves this week, before they return to the Black Country on Friday night for the FA Cup fifth round.
Liverpool attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz emerges for a training session.
Liverpool attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz emerges for a training session.(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
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"Not anything different to what I said after the game," Slot said when asked about the German. "The game probably comes too soon tomorrow and maybe the game at the weekend. We hope to have him back next week."
Speaking before the West Ham game, Slot explained the situation in more detail. "At this moment in time, I don't know," he said on a possible timeline. "Usually when I say that, I do know and I don't want to share that. But this time, I honestly don't know.
"It's a big accomplishment for Wirtz to stay fit for such a long time because he had to make a step up from where he played to the Premier League and Liverpool. It tells a lot about his mentality and work rate that he has stayed fit for so long. It is a disappointment for him and for us, because he has played really, really well lately."
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