Wirtz at Liverpool: Is patience key for the German crack?

Three months have passed since Liverpool finalized a deal that could reach 116 million pounds sterling to sign Florian Wirtz, a player called to be the team’s game-changer. However, fans may have to wait at least one more year to see the results of this investment.

After seven games with Liverpool, Wirtz has yet to make his mark. In fact, his debut in the Merseyside derby was from the bench, a situation he surely did not expect.

• Wirtz has not yet scored or assisted in an official match with Liverpool.
• His only assist was in the Community Shield, a friendly match against Crystal Palace.
• In the matches he has played, he has been a peripheral figure.
• In the match against Everton, Slot decided to leave Wirtz out of the starting eleven, and Liverpool won.

Will the international German succeed with the Liverpool shirt? It’s likely, and the team’s excellent start to the season has eased public pressure. However, Wirtz is not expected to be the key figure this season.Wirtz is not the first highly-regarded player to arrive in England and struggle to meet expectations. Players like Dennis Bergkamp and Robert Pires, despite being Arsenal legends, also had a difficult start in the Premier League.Juan Sebastián Verón, considered one of the best attacking midfielders in the world, never adapted to the pace of the Premier League, neither at Manchester United nor at Chelsea. Mesut Özil, on the other hand, stood out more in home matches with Arsenal.A source revealed that Manchester United was wary of signing German attacking midfielders after the failures of Shinji Kagawa and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. United believed that the slower pace and less demanding schedule of the Bundesliga did not prepare players for the intensity of the Premier League, something Wirtz has experienced.

If you bring in very good players, with a lot of talent but from different leagues and young -Florian is 22 and Hugo [Ekitike] 23- I think it’s normal. If you’re not 27 or 28 years old, you might need to adapt to the Premier League, and that’s what these two are doing.

Arne Slot

Wirtz, 22, turned down interest from Manchester City and Bayern Munich to sign for Liverpool in June, despite both clubs offering him a clearer role in the team.In City, Pep Guardiola wanted Wirtz to replace Kevin De Bruyne. Bayern would have allowed him to form a lethal partnership with Harry Kane. However, Wirtz chose Liverpool because of the appeal of Anfield and the club’s vision of making him the center of their attack.The arrival of six new players and the departures of six starters, added to the absence of Diogo Jota, have required a period of adaptation for Slot’s team.Hugo Ekitike has had an incredible start with four goals in seven matches. Milos Kerkez has been inconsistent, Jeremie Frimpong has struggled with injuries, and Alexander Isak is still regaining his best form.Wirtz has been perhaps the most disappointing addition so far, but the performance of players like Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, and Virgil van Dijk has propelled Liverpool to a perfect start, which has eased the pressure on Wirtz.

Slot explained that Wirtz was a substitute in the derby against Everton because he needed players capable of withstanding the physical demands of the match.Slot mentioned that Wirtz needs to adapt to the aggressiveness and speed of the Premier League. “It was a welcome to the Premier League. After 85 minutes, I think he didn’t know he could get cramps in so many different places. That’s the welcome to the Premier League, that’s the welcome to playing with this intensity,” Slot said.Wirtz needs time to adapt and Slot must find the best way to utilize a player who scored 12 goals and provided 22 assists for Bayer Leverkusen last season.Wirtz has not been able to play further forward because Ekitike, Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo have performed in attacking positions. Unlike Leverkusen, Liverpool does not depend on Wirtz to generate danger in the final third.Perhaps when Salah leaves the team, Wirtz can take over the leadership. At 22 years old, he was signed long-term and is expected to be a key piece in Liverpool’s future.For now, Wirtz is trying to adapt to the frenetic pace of his new environment.