So many pundits and fans of rival clubs were ready to label Florian Wirtz a flop. Signed from Bayer Leverkusen for an astronomical transfer fee, the German playmaker arrived at Liverpool with big expectations. When Wirtz took some time to find his feet in his new surroundings, the criticism was fierce.
That criticism, however, is no longer applicable. Wirtz is now frequently Liverpool’s best player in matches. Even as the Reds have struggled for consistent form in recent times, the 22-year-old has stood out. This was the case against Burnley on Saturday when Wirtz scored Liverpool’s only goal in a 1-1 draw.
With Mohamed Salah at the Africa Cup of Nations, Wirtz has grown into a more confident, influential player. Deployed in the number 10 role where he has the freedom to drift out to the left wide, the German international is becoming a bigger and bigger threat in between the lines and in the attacking third.
Of course, Liverpool’s set-up remains vulnerable in defence. Burnley exposed this by snatching a point at Anfield on Saturday when the home team had spent the majority of the match in the opposition half. Teams know they will get scoring chances against the defending Premier League champions.
Now that Salah is back from AFCON, there are questions over how Slot will balance his forward line. The Egyptian was dropped from the lineup before leaving for AFCON, prompting a public statement from Salah who claimed “someone doesn’t want me in the club.” How will his reintegration affect Wirtz and the rest of the Liverpool team?
Slot insists that fitting Salah back into his team won’t be an issue. The Egyptian could be available for the Champions League meeting with Marseille on Wednesday. He will almost certainly be involved against Bournemouth in the Premier League this weekend. The Reds can’t afford to drop any more points.
There is a growing sense that Liverpool is transitioning into a new era. The club spent a lot of money on the signing of Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez in the belief that these players would allow Slot’s team to compete over the seasons to come.
That transition is taking longer than Liverpool surely would have hoped, but Wirtz is starting to show why the Anfield club spent so much to get him in the door last summer. The German could be the face of Liverpool’s next great team which is still coming together. Wirtz deserves more credit for the performances he’s producing.