Liverpool star Florian Wirtz and manager Andoni Iraola
Liverpool star Florian Wirtz and manager Andoni Iraola
Jason Cundy has torn into struggling Liverpool midfielder Florian Wirtz, claiming the German ‘could go down as the biggest waste of money the Premier League has ever seen’.
Liverpool paid an initial £100million for Wirtz in June last year, while the deal had the potential to rise to £116m through add-ons. There were huge expectations for the attacking midfielder at Anfield after he won the Bundesliga Player of the Year award in the 2023-24 campaign.
However, it took Wirtz several months to adapt to the challenges of Premier League football. He showed glimpses of his obvious talent as the season went on, but, overall, it was a disappointing campaign for both him and Liverpool.
This season could decide whether Wirtz ever makes it at Liverpool.
It has been another slow start for the 23-year-old, as he has failed to score in seven club outings and has only managed one assist.
Both Wirtz and Bradley Barcola went missing in the 3-0 home defeat to Manchester City, with Victor Munoz and Lewis Koumas shining in attack instead.
Wirtz was the obvious candidate to be substituted when Liverpool went down to 10 men following Ryan Gravenberch’s dismissal.
On talkSPORT, Cundy reacted to Wirtz’s new low by saying: “I think he could go down as the biggest waste of money the Premier League has ever seen, I genuinely do.
“I think I’ve seen enough. I’m not sure he has the physicality or personality. When I say personality, I mean, ‘Give me the ball, I want to influence the game.’
“Sometimes players can give the ball away, but you’re showing you want the ball and show what you’ve got. I don’t see any of that.
“He’s having a tough time. He looks scared, he looks frightened.”
Cundy added: “An uncomfortable conversation needs to take place.”
The pundit continued: “Rayan Cherki owns the pitch.
“He’s got personality. He gets the ball.
“Florian Wirtz ain’t got personality. He’s got lovely touches, lovely flicks, but he can’t influence a game at all. He’s miles away.
“If he was a youth team player that had been put into that first team, there’s no way he’d be starting. He’d be on the bench, at very best. He is a real problem.”
Florian Wirtz ‘shouldn’t be in Liverpool team’ – Carragher
After the defeat to City, Jamie Carragher said: “Liverpool have got three £100m+ players, and they’re not all starting together; it’s early in the season, I get that.
“But Liverpool have paid top dollar, and they’re getting nowhere near what they should be getting. I’m going to come back to Florian Wirtz. I was critical of him after the last game (against Bournemouth).
“Now I was then criticised by a lot of supporters for putting a negative slant on it when Liverpool had a good game, and everyone was happy.
“But what I did say is it almost feels like the last hope: could Jurgen Klopp get his arm around him when he goes away with Germany? He played really well in the game, scored and played well.
“But he’s come here today, and I’m thinking as a Liverpool fan, no Isak, no Gakpo, our two best attackers this season. We need Barcola, and we need Wirtz to step up and help Munoz, help Koumas at the top end of the pitch.
“Koumas and Munoz were better than the two £100m players. Now that can’t be right. It’s just not right. And it wasn’t even a decision to make for anyone who was in this stadium today who was coming off for Liverpool when they went down to 10 men.
“There’s got to be a rejig of the midfield because what Florian Wirtz is giving Liverpool right now is nowhere near enough. People were critical of me for being critical after the Bournemouth game. He’s played 55–60 games for Liverpool. He shouldn’t be in the Liverpool team right now.”