Liverpool midfielder Florian Wirtz has been called "not fit for purpose" as the club is pressured to make a bold move regarding the German's future
Florian Wirtz of Liverpool reacts during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Newcastle United and Liverpool FC at St James' Park on August 23, 2026 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Florian Wirtz has been called "not fit for purpose" as his Liverpool struggles continue(Image: Getty)
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Premier League pundit Simon Jordan has dubbed Florian Wirtz "not fit for purpose" following his faltering form for Liverpool.
Wirtz is struggling to justify the £116million price-tag that took him to Anfield from Bayer Leverkusen last year. Reds icon Jamie Carragher has even suggested the 23-year-old midfielder, bought for £100m plus £16m in add-ons, should be dropped by manager Andoni Iraola.
Speaking on talkSPORT, fellow Liverpool alum Danny Murphy piled on by conceding Wirtz is "struggling" and suggested he lacks the physicality for the Premier League. He went on to say Wirtz deserves more time to integrate into Andoni Iraola's system - but patience is wearing thin on Merseyside.
Responding to Murphy, Jordan asked: "You look at it and say, five-year contract depreciating at £20m a year. On their books at £70m now, can they get out of it if they need to?
"Can they get out of it and find a way to get him out of the door if he's not going to fit? I'm not the best person to assess whether a player can change their direction of travel because of their physicality.
"But if all the things Danny suggests are absolutely prevalent to what Iraola's success is going to be, or not, then the player's not going to be fit for purpose, is he?"
Jordan's comments suggest Wirtz's market value has dropped by £30m or so since he moved to England. Aside from the monetary sacrifice, selling the No. 10 for such a dramatic loss now would represent a huge mark against Liverpool's recruitment department.
After averaging a goal or assist every 1.61 games for Bayer Leverkusen, that ratio has fallen to a direct goal contribution every three games for the Reds. Wirtz, who earns £200,000 a week at Anfield, boasts a single assist in six games so far this season.
Despite his struggles in England, Liverpool remain undefeated across all competitions this term to date. Iraola's defence in particular has improved since he first arrived at the helm, though three draws from five Premier League outings isn't the return the club envisioned.
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Given the player's reported wages, finding a suitor right now may prove difficult at any rate. Liverpool currently have nine players on their books earning at least £200,000 a week, with Virgil van Dijk topping the list on £350,000 a week.
The club can ill afford to carry any of those players at such massive expense. And there's a growing sentiment is some sectors that Liverpool my be better off cutting their losses sooner rather than later.