Liverpool icon: Wirtz hasn’t cut the mustard, he’ll be disappointed by his first three months at Anfield

He’s not the only big-money signing to struggle for Slot’s Premier League champions this season, but a Liverpool legend is convinced that Florian Wirtz will come good eventually.

It’s been a season to forget so far for Liverpool. After splurging record sums in the summer transfer window, smashing the British transfer record not once, but twice by shelling out £116m for Florian Wirtz and then dropping £125m for Alexander Isak, several pundits were ready to hand over the Premier League crown to Arne Slot‘s team before a ball was even kicked.

After Liverpool were demolished 3-0 by Manchester City on Sunday, the club’s seventh defeat in the last ten games, it looks like the Reds will have a scrap on their hands to finish in the top four, never mind chase down Arsenal in the race for the title. Football, it’s a funny old game.

Liverpool look miles off it. Wirtz, who was a revelation at Bayer Leverkusen, rightly attracted the interest of giants Bayern Munich and Manchester City in the summer, but it was Liverpool who secured his signature, but so far, it just hasn’t happened for the 22-year-old German international who, at times has looked neat and tidy, but has contributed zero goals or assists in 11 Premier League games this season. Yikes.

He hasn’t cut the mustard

Despite the attacking midfielders struggles, fellow German Didi Hamann is convinced that Wirtz will start to find his feet in the Premier League.

During an exclusive interview with footballblog.co.uk, Hamann recently commented: “There’s probably a few new signings that haven’t cut the mustard so far. Obviously a player we expected more from is Wirtz at Liverpool. But then again we are early in the season. 

“You sign a five year contract, we are only 10 games into the season. A lot can happen over the rest of the campaign, but I think Wirtz will admit that what’s happened so far is certainly not what his standards are.”

Hamann thinks Wirtz will come good soon

Despite his less than impressive start, Hamann remains a huge fan of Wirtz and he believes that it’s only a matter of time before Liverpool fans start to see the best of him.

“When you come to a club and a team like Liverpool – and there has been huge upheaval there, admittedly –  this all changes and affects things. Certainly Wirtz will be disappointed with the way the first three or four months have gone. But I believe and I’m sure he’s a better player than what he’s showing and hopefully we will see that soon on the pitch,” Hamann concluded.

The Essential Football verdict

It’s hard not to be drawn to comments from Arsene Wenger, who recently said that the addition of Wirtz “destroyed Liverpool’s midfield”. Wenger isn’t known for his hot takes, but the legendary manager appears to have got this one absolutely right. Was Wirtz really needed? Liverpool had the perfect blend in the midfield last season and the addition of Wirtz, who has to play given the sums it took to get him to Liverpool, has upset the applecart.