There will be some changes needed for Liverpool to get the most out of Florian Wirtz in the coming weeks of the season, after an upturn in form for Germany during the international break
Coach Juergen Klopp of Germany and Florian Wirtz of Germany after the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Greece and Germany
Florian Wirtz has been closer to his best for Germany over the international break(Image: (Photo by Marvin Ibo Guengoer - GES Sportfoto/Getty Images))
Florian Wirtz has been a conundrum that Liverpool hasn't quite been able to solve yet. In the year since his $153 million move from Bayer Leverkusen, the star has failed to hit the heights expected.
Plenty has been put forward as an explanation for why, from his difficulties in adjusting to a new league to the disjointed nature that the Reds have found themselves in since the transfer splurge of the past year.
Regardless of those possible reasons, at some point, Liverpool is expecting Wirtz to produce something that will reflect the investment of money and time put into him. How that will be done has been largely unclear, with the Merseyside outfit still dealing with plenty of transition both on and off the pitch, with Andoni Iraola still looking to get his best team on the pitch in every game possible.
However, during what has been a positive international break for the star, Jurgen Klopp and the German national team may have shown the path to redemption.
The answer lies in the play running through Wirtz, giving him the keys to unlock the opposition, and allowing him to dictate the game around him.
For his national team, the playmaker has been averaging upwards of 70 touches per game, getting on the ball 97 times against Serbia and 89 times in the second clash with Greece.
That is in stark contrast to his time with Liverpool so far this season, where he averages 62 touches per game, with the Bournemouth game underlining his difficulties with just 53 touches overall in the match.
Florian Wirtz of Germany looks on during the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Greece and Germany
Florian Wirtz was named Germany captain for the match with Greece(Image: (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images))
"On the ball, Flo [Wirtz] obviously has complete freedom, and we try to get the ball to him as much as possible," Germany star Aleksandar Pavlovic recently revealed when asked about his midfield teammate and how he fits into the team.
It's something that Wirtz hasn't quite been afforded, especially with a superstar setup around him that will have many players looking to get on the ball to impact play.
One of the key players with a role in that is Dominik Szoboszlai, who ranks second for touches this season for Liverpool with 415 to his name across five games - only Virgil van Dijk has more with 479 from his deep build-up play. That is 105 more than Wirtz's 310, showing who the game is really flowing through.
It's not the only issue that the 23-year-old faces, as he also has a challenge in fitting into his best position. While he is a number ten, his best days at Bayer Leverkusen came when finding little pockets of space in the left half-space, an area between the full-back and centre-back that can be exploited.
It was an area he took up a fair few times for Germany during the international break, but he is unable to find that same joy for Liverpool with the profile of left winger available.
Bradley Barcola, Cody Gakpo, and Rio Ngumoha are all right-footed left wingers, who will look to drive forward on the ball before cutting into that same half space to get an opportunity on their preferred side.
That means the space often has to be vacated, meaning Wirtz cannot occupy the same areas he would hope to exploit, while his main utility has actually been as a better pressing option, than someone who can carve a team open on the ball.
It points to someone who needs a team built around them who is in an environment that can't seem to accommodate his strengths at the moment. Wirtz' time with Klopp and Germany has pointed the way to getting success out of him, it's up to Liverpool and Iraola to decide whether to change the team for him or to continue with the struggles at hand.