Liverpool head coach Arne Slot insists Florian Wirtz is meeting expectations despite a slow start at Anfield. The German playmaker’s adaptation to the Premier League’s intensity is normal, and Slot remains confident in his potential impact.
Much was made of Wirtz’s £100m transfer fee potentially rising to £116m when he joined the Reds from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer, a then-club record deal.
The move came after a remarkable rise in Germany, with Wirtz earning Player of the Year honors during Leverkusen’s Bundesliga title-winning 2023-24 campaign. Expectations were sky-high for the 22-year-old, widely regarded as one of Europe’s brightest attacking midfield talents.
Yet, despite flashes of quality, Wirtz has struggled to find consistency in England. He has yet to score a competitive goal for Liverpool and has often been on the bench, including in four recent Premier League fixtures.
Slot has preferred the experienced midfield trio of Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, and Dominik Szoboszlai for key encounters, including the Merseyside derby and Saturday’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa. In that game, Wirtz replaced fellow summer signing Hugo Ekitike in the 77th minute, prompting some debate among fans about his role.
Speaking at Monday’s press conference, Slot provided context to Wirtz’s situation, emphasising the intensity of the Premier League and the demands of Liverpool’s schedule:
“You can say he has started one of the last four, but you can say he has started eight, nine, 10, or 11 games this season. I’ve said this quite a lot, not to be used as an excuse but to tell it how it is; many times we have had to play three games in seven days with no rest in between.”
“For a player who comes from a different league, which is a very good league by the way, but people would agree the Premier League is a bit more intense in all of the games. The top games (in the Premier League and Bundesliga) are similar, but all of the games.”
Slot also defended Wirtz’s contribution to the team, highlighting that statistics like goals alone do not capture the midfielder’s influence:
“If you look at that, he has already played a lot in many games, but he’s been unlucky with the end product, either by himself or his teammates. For me, he exactly brought what we expected, a player who created a lot for the team.
“He will have his goals, but I don’t think it comes as a surprise to anyone that if you’re 22 or 23 and come to a different league, that you might need some time to adjust to that intensity if you play every three days, with only two days’ rest in between.
The Liverpool manager also drew parallels with Gravenberch’s own adjustment period, suggesting that patience and perspective are key when integrating young foreign talents into a grueling Premier League schedule. Gravenberch, now a central figure in the midfield, also required time to adapt to the pace and intensity of English football.
Before, Ryan Gravenberch was sitting here (in the press conference) and it took him a while to adjust to the intensity, maybe even longer than it is going to take Florian.”
Wirtz has contributed three assists in all competitions, including a notable two-assist performance in Liverpool’s Champions League win over Eintracht Frankfurt.
Beyond these numbers, his creativity, vision, and ability to link play have already begun to enrich Liverpool’s attacking structure, something Slot stresses as crucial to long-term adaptation.
Liverpool’s upcoming Champions League clash with Real Madrid on Tuesday will present one of the sternest tests for Wirtz since arriving at Anfield. Historically, the Reds have struggled against Los Blancos in Europe, Slot has not confirmed whether Wirtz will start, but he made clear that he has confidence in the midfielder’s ability to rise to the occasion.
Liverpool’s recent form has been mixed. A prior run of six defeats in seven games had left fans concerned, but the 2-0 win over Aston Villa offered a welcome boost. Slot will be hoping that victory can spark a broader resurgence, including for Wirtz, as Liverpool navigate a congested schedule across domestic and European competitions.
