Florian Wirtz looks on while playing for Germany
Florian Wirtz looks on while playing for Germany
Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images
Former Premier League defender Frank Leboeuf has assessed Liverpool midfielder Florian Wirtz’s struggles at Anfield, warning it is ‘already almost too late’ for the Germany international to prove himself on Merseyside.
The 23-year-old left Bayer Leverkusen for Liverpool last summer in a deal worth a total package of €137m, signing a contract with the Reds until 2030.
His first season was one to forget, with just five goals and four assists in the league, a significant drop-off from the previous campaign when he registered 23 goal involvements in the Bundesliga.
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This season, under Andoni Iraola, Wirtz has started five games but has managed just one assist, contributing to Liverpool’s sixth-place position in the league table.
Leboeuf explained that the window for a player to settle at a new club can be short, particularly when they arrive off the back of a highly successful season such as Wirtz had with Die Schwarzroten.
The 58-year-old underlined the contrast in expectations between Wirtz and players such as Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah, pointing out that neither arrived in England with the same level of recognition or expectation.
In contrast, he noted that the 23-year-old joined Liverpool as a €130m signing after establishing himself as an exceptional player, bringing enormous pressure with him and leaving little room for patience, with Leboeuf even suggesting it may already be almost too late.
Competition Appearances
Bundesliga 140
Premier League 38
Europa League 33
Leboeuf said on ESPN FC (9:11): “The time that you have when you come to a club is going to be short, especially when you have a season, like Wirtz had before at Leverkusen.
“The expectation is huge.
“And I disagree [that Wirtz can be compared with De Bruyne when he arrived] because De Bruyne, and you can even name Mo Salah, when they came to England, they weren’t very known.
“So they played for Chelsea, it didn’t work, De Bruyne left.
“Mo Salah went to Roma, and it’s only after that that they became who they were, but there weren’t any expectations from those two players.
“When Wirtz came to Liverpool, that was THE player, that was €130m, and the guy was amazing, and it’s why you don’t wait too much and it’s already almost too late.”
Despite his form, Wirtz earned a call-up for Germany international duty under Jurgen Klopp, who has selected 44 players for his Nations League campaign.
The 23-year-old was handed a run-out for his country against Greece in a game that ended in a 1-0 defeat, with Klopp having backed the Reds star by highlighting his ‘outstanding’ qualities.
Wirtz has two more games before the international break ends, against Serbia and Greece again, before returning to Liverpool when the Reds’ Premier League resumes on 11th October against Manchester City at Anfield.
Having been tipped by a former Red as capable as having a Philippe Coutinho level impact, the Germany international will be keen to start turning that expectation into performances.
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