Liverpool are hoping to sign highly-rated Bayer Leverkusen star Florian WirtzLiverpool are hoping to sign highly-rated Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz
Liverpool are hoping to sign highly-rated Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz | Getty Images
Florian Wirtz could be a record breaking signing for Liverpool and he has been tipped to become the world’s best.
For an eternity, the Ballon d”Or seemed like the private play thing of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, flitting between their respective Spanish homes in Madrid and Barcelona.
If Arne Slot wants to take his team to the next level, he needs to sign players capable of doing this and the imminent capture of Florian Wirtz could be the signing of the summer.
Florian Wirtz tipped to win the Ballon d”Or by Lothar Matthaus
A league winner in Germany, Wirtz is seen as the future of his country’s international hopes with the legendary Lothar Matthaus predicting special things from the 22-year old playmaker.
Speaking to SABC Sport, Matthaus reckons that two of his compatriots could soon be competing for football’s most prestigious individual award: ''I think we already have two players in Germany and can be, maybe candidates in the future for the Ballon d'Or.
“This is Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen and Jamal Musiala from Bayern Munich - they are outstanding, not only at club level but for the national team as well. Musiala has more than 100 Bundesliga games, 50 games for Germany. They make good entertainment in football, we haven't done so well in about six years in the World Cup, we are on the right track now with these two guys,'' said Matthaus.
''It is always good when you give them a little bit of time to find their way, no funny headlines because they are still young, they need stability. Musiala is still happy to play for Bayern, not after the Ferraris and the Lamborghinis, I know of youngsters who are after those things. But they must be given a space to learn for themselves,'' added Matthaus.
Florian Wirtz shows dazzling footwork that will cause Premier League defenders sleepless nights
There have been plenty of discussions about where Wirtz will fit in with Liverpool as a maverick playmaker capable of producing something from nothing, but with the hard work that is needed in modern football.
The 22-year old also has the sort of single mindedness that saw him score the goal of the season for the Bundesliga in 2023, a goal that John Barnes would have been proud of in his pomp.
The composure, close control, vision and footwork Wirtz displays is breathtaking, and only a glimpse into what to expect when he is paraded at Anfield.
When asked by Leverkusen’s media team about how easily he torments opposition defenders, his answer was typically off the cuff: “What I do is mostly very spontaneous because it appears to be the best solution for me in that situation.
“My goal against Freiburg (Bundesliga Goal of the Year 2023) is the perfect example of that. There I just did everything that was possible in the situation and what I thought was the smartest.
“But sometimes, as against RB Leipzig, I suspect or know beforehand what the opponent will do and then it's easier to do my own tricks because I can see how the opponents move and when they'll dive in.
“It's definitely one of my strengths that sometimes I know in advance what will happen – and then I can concentrate on the solution so that I anticipate the situation and thereby create an advantage for myself.”
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