Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
It is summer 2025 and Liverpool are looking to capitalise on their Premier League title success.
On paper, it was a mightily impressive window. Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz all penned terms at Anfield.
Sadly, the brutal reality is that so far only Ekitike can be considered a success.
Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike
The Wirtz case is perhaps the most perplexing. This was a player who Manchester City had reportedly looked at signing but they ended up with Rayan Cherki instead.
How Liverpool must wish they had got him instead. Wirtz has endured a wretched first year in England by comparison.
How Wirtz compares to Liverpool number 7s of the past
Prior to Wirtz signing for Liverpool, former Leverkusen striker Patrick Helmes declared that the German was "probably the best midfielder in the world."
It was hard to disagree with that statement. During his final campaign in Germany, he scored 16 goals and registered 14 assists.
Unfortunately, he's not got anywhere near those numbers since arriving at Liverpool. Wirtz's debut year saw him score seven goals and supply eight assists. Those are not bad numbers for a regular player, but the German is not any ordinary signing; he's a £116m signing.
Things have not got much better for him this term. He is yet to score across his seven appearances.
Truthfully, he is not doing the famous number 7 shirt justice.
liverpool-number-7s-wirtz-timeless
Over the last decade, some of the biggest icons in the club's modern times have donned the number 7.
James Milner was not the flashiest player in the world but he was the definition of a model professional. In Luis Suarez and Luis Diaz, they had two mavericks, two of the most swashbuckling players we've ever seen at Anfield.
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Wirtz vs Liverpool number 7s
Player
Wirtz
Diaz
Milner
Suarez
Kewell
Both Suarez and Diaz left for greater heights, joining Barcelona and Bayern Munich respectively, but it would be a big surprise if that sort of a move was in the pipeline for Wirtz.
It begs the question: what does Iraola do with him?
How Liverpool can replace Wirtz long-term
When a player costs £116m you expect instant results. You don't just expect instant results, you expect the type of performance that wins the team a game. Wirtz has not delivered that.
Patience was exercised last season. After all, this was the German's first season overseas. Yet, that patience is now wearing thin.
REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
Wirtz has been here for over a year and has cost Liverpool around £16m per goal so far. There is only so long Liverpool and Iraola can persevere with the former Leverkusen man.
So, where do they turn to next? Well, there are a number of exciting young players coming through. Trey Nyoni looks like their best talent in midfield but he's not cut from a similar cloth as far as creativity is concerned.
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A player by the name of Samuel Martinez does, however. Who? Well, back in July, Liverpool's official channels confirmed they had reached an agreement with Colombian side Atletico Nacional for the transfer of Martinez.
Just 17, he is not legally allowed to join the Reds until next summer so it'll be a while before we see him in action.
However, prepare to get excited. Martinez looks like the real deal. The Athletic's Felipe Cardenas wrote over the summer that Martinez's 'lanky frame, upright style of running and deceptive speed in short bursts conjured images of Brazilian legend Kaka'. That's certainly a good start, isn't it?
Cardenas further noted that Martinez shows 'high endurance and strong technical abilities'. So, with that in mind, he looks tailor-made for the Premier League.
kaka-real-madrid-fifa-11
Let's compare that to Wirtz for a moment. The German is slight; he's not very physical. It's one of the reasons he has found life difficult in the rough and tumble of the Premier League.
One of the teenager's best qualities is certainly his ball-carrying. The 17-year-old recorded a whopping 7.23 dribbles per 90 minutes at the U17 CONMEBOL tournament. He also averaged 3.25 progressive runs per 90 which was the second-highest tally among all midfielders.
While transferring your skills to senior football is never easy, it does look as though Liverpool have signed a real gem here. If he goes on to have even half the career that Kaka had, Iraola will have a real player on his hands.