Former Liverpool midfielder Vladimir Smicer gives his verdict on Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola
David Affengruber of Fulham passes the ball under pressure from Bradley Barcola of Liverpool and Florian Wirtz during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Fulham at Anfield on September 12, 2026(Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
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Former Liverpool midfielder Vladimir Smicer believes Florian Wirtz is being weighed down by his £116m price tag at Anfield, comparing the Germany international to Paul Pogba at Manchester United.
Wirtz was briefly the most expensive player in the Reds' history when he left Bayer Leverkusen for an initial £100m in June of 2025, and while there were been flashes of class at times in his debut campaign, Arne Slot's side suffered a disappointing season on the whole as they limped to fifth.
That under-performance resulted in the appointment of Andoni Iraola in June and Wirtz is now having to adapt to the demands of a new head coach who is famed for his intense pressing style.
Smicer, who was part of the 2005 Champions League-winning squad at Liverpool, has likened Wirtz's time so far at Anfield to that of Pogba's second stint at United, where he found life difficult after a world-record £89m move from Juventus in 2016.
"It’s important to know how Florian is feeling about his time at Liverpool and the Premier League," Smicer told Grosvenor Sport. "I don’t know if he is happy here but I believe he can still unlock something and still do well for Liverpool.
"He is still very young and would like to see him play well for Liverpool and stay at the club for another few years so for me, at the moment, I wouldn’t sell him to Bayern Munich or anybody else.
"He has more inside him and I think he will probably show it for Liverpool because he’s already been unlucky with some of his passes and other players not scoring goals. He is not underachieving if those great passes became assists.
"Some people are expecting a little too much from him, and I think some people are still seeing the fee that Liverpool paid for him rather than the player, and that’s the problem. It was the same with Paul Pogba at Manchester United."
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Alexander Isak took Wirtz's title as the costliest signing in Liverpool history when he moved for £125m from Newcastle United on September 1 last year before the Reds became the first club in history to field three players who cost over nine figures by signing Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain for £123m last month.
Smicer, who made 184 appearances across a six-year career on Merseyside, admitted big-money purchases don't always lead to automatic success.
The former Czech Republic star added: "Now Bradley Barcola is facing the same big pressure as Florian Wirtz because the fee was so big.
"For that kind of money, they are going to expect him to score 20 goals and make 15 assists.
"Why is he not producing that? Well, it’s not easy. You can see that money isn’t everything. Look at Manchester United and Chelsea and how much money they have spent.
"Every club is trying to find the right players for their system but sometimes you have to be lucky and that comes down to the chemistry between the players, not what’s on paper. You need to create that on the training ground, and then in the games.
"Nobody knows what they’re buying even if a player is £100million because are they going to be a good fit with the team? That’s why these signings are hard decisions for teams because they need the players on paper but they don’t work out.
"Liverpool need Bradley Barcola on the wing but is he the answer who is worth £120 million? Only history will tell us that but you can buy big names and it doesn’t always work. Look at Paris Saint-Germain.
"They had Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe and they never won the Champions League until all left and suddenly, boom! Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembele are now twice champions of Europe."
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 9: Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool celebrate 2nd goal during the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 League Phase MD1 match between Liverpool FC and Atletico de Madrid at Anfield on September 9, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 9: Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool celebrate 2nd goal during the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 League Phase MD1 match between Liverpool FC and Atletico de Madrid at Anfield on September 9, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)