Liverpool's Florian Wirtz-1
Liverpool's Florian Wirtz-1
Given the sheer volume of high-profile additions at Liverpool over recent seasons, it is no surprise to see various players lose their starting positions at Anfield.
The hierarchy have invested over £600m into the playing squad since the summer of 2024 alone, with the Reds board desperately wanting to make the club a dominant force in the Premier League.
However, such investment only allowed the club to secure a fifth-place finish in England’s top-flight last term, ultimately resulting in Arne Slot losing his job on Merseyside.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot
Andoni Iraola has been tasked with leading the side back up the division in 2026/27 and is already starting to get the best out of one of the Dutchman’s big-money additions.
Why Wirtz is starting to become crucial for Liverpool
After arriving from Bayer Leverkusen for a reported £116m last summer, many Liverpool supporters were expecting Florian Wirtz to instantly become one of the club’s most influential talents.
However, his debut campaign at Anfield was one to forget, as the German international only registered 15 combined goals and assists across his 49 appearances in all competitions.
iraola-wirtz-liverpool
Such a record saw him produce a goal contribution every three and a half matches - a figure way lower than you would expect from such a mega-money addition.
Despite his struggles in 2025/26, Iraola has kept the faith in the 23-year-old this campaign, and the Liverpool faithful are now starting to see the full fruits of his labour.
The attacking midfielder has now registered three goal contributions in his last five appearances across all competitions, including a goal in the Champions League win over Villarreal.
Whilst he started on the bench for the Carabao Cup clash with Chelsea on Wednesday night, he still managed to catch the eye with his composed penalty in the shootout.
He undoubtedly still has a long way to go before proving why the club spent so heavily on his services, but there’s no denying his showings in recent weeks have been a vast improvement.
Why Liverpool star must be sold before Wirtz
A large portion of the Liverpool fanbase would have been advocating for the club to offload Wirtz during the recent window, but such calls have no doubt died down amid his recent showings.
However, there’s still a handful of senior players who have fallen below their high standards in recent weeks, which could lead to their own departures from Anfield.
Iraola is understandably still trying to understand his best starting eleven to achieve success after only taking the reins on Merseyside back in late June.
Though that being said, it’s becoming clear week on week that midfielder Ryan Gravenberch currently looks like a shadow of his former self and is struggling to provide the goods for the Reds.
The Dutch international, who cost £34m in the summer of 2023, was an integral part of the title-winning campaign back in 2024/25, but he’s been unable to emulate such impressive showings in recent weeks.
Cody-Gakpo-Liverpool-Gravenberch
Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith
He’s only started 50% of the club’s league games this campaign, and even when he has started, he’s looked devoid of any quality or confidence with and without the ball at his feet.
The 24-year-old was sent off during the 3-0 defeat to Manchester City at Anfield earlier this month, with his rash nature resulting in him being dismissed for two yellow cards.
Gravenberch was handed an opportunity to redeem himself against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night, but like against City, it was an evening to forget on Merseyside.
The midfielder was judged to have tripped Moises Caicedo in the penalty area, which resulted in the Blues securing a one-goal lead during the cup clash.
He was even one of the players who stepped up to take a spot kick during the shootout, but it would only compound his misery as his effort was easily saved by Mike Penders.
Such a performance was evidence that his confidence is currently at an all-time low during his time at Anfield, and there currently appears to be no end in sight for his struggles.
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Ryan Gravenberch - stats against Chelsea
Statistics
Minutes played
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Pass accuracy
Chances created
Penalties conceded
Dribbles completed
Crosses completed
Duels lost
Iraola has since allowed the likes of Trey Nyoni to have their own chances to catch the eye, which has even seen the youngster arguably pass the Dutchman in the pecking order.
As a result, a sale for the midfielder could well be on the cards in the near future, especially if his lack of form continues to drag on before the winter transfer window.
The same can’t be said for Wirtz though, with the German finally showing signs of being the player who could finally contribute to the club’s hopes of being in a title battle.
Alexis Mac Allister for Liverpool-1
Alexis Mac Allister for Liverpool-1