Arne Slot believes Florian Wirtz has the potential to be mentioned in the same breath as football icons Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah, but only if the Germany international can prove himself every single week in the Premier League.
The Liverpool boss, who made Wirtz the most expensive signing in club history when he arrived from Bayer Leverkusen in June, says the 22-year-old’s creativity and quality are beyond doubt. The challenge, Slot insists, is staying fit and available enough to turn promise into greatness.
Liverpool will pay Leverkusen an initial £100 million, with a further £16 million in success-based add-ons for the attacking midfielder. Despite the scale of the investment, the biggest hurdle between Wirtz and football’s elite is not raw talent, but the ability to be available week in, week out in one of the most demanding leagues in the world.
“Everything we expect is very positive, but between expecting and realising something is different.
Why are Messi and Ronaldo and Mo [Salah], why are they so highly regarded? Because they are always fit. Every single game, they are fit. And that is something that Florian first has to show in a league like ours. If he is able to stay to fit, then our fans will see great moments.”
Wirtz arrives at Anfield after scoring 34 goals and providing 35 assists across his last two seasons under Xabi Alonso, winning the Bundesliga and the German Cup before finishing runner-up to Bayern Munich last year.
He turned down interest from Manchester City and Bayern to join Liverpool, where Slot sees him as the central figure in the next stage of his side’s evolution. His creative influence, vision and eye for goal made him one of Europe’s most sought-after young playmakers.
The Dutch coach compared the move to Liverpool’s landmark signings of Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker in 2018.
“I think Liverpool have done this before. With Alisson Becker we spent so much money, with Virgil we spent so much money, and with inflation I think it is the Liverpool signing. We mainly make these signings. But again, we also sell players. If we make these signings, we also have to sell players.
And then it is very positive that we could bring in such a highly regarded player. Can he take us to the next level? That is something I can only answer in the upcoming years.”
Wirtz is expected to operate as a number 10 this season, combining with Salah and offering a different profile to Liverpool’s existing midfielders. Slot continued with his praise of the the youngster’s mentality as much as his skill.
“He might be young but he has already won a lot. Factually we can see him as a young player but in terms of his experience, he is not. He does not get distracted at all by the transfer fee. Good players always find a way to play well.”
As Liverpool prepare to defend their Premier League crown against Bournemouth at Anfield on Friday, all eyes will be on Wirtz as he marks his competitive Anfield debut.
Slot’s message is clear — the 22-year-old’s path to becoming one of the Premier League’s greats won’t be defined solely by his goals and assists, but by whether he can match the relentless availability of football’s very best.
