Florian Wirtz

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Florian Richard Wirtz

Current Club: Liverpool.
Previous Clubs: Bayer Leverkusen, FC Koln, SV Grun-Weiss Brauweiler.
Loan Clubs: N/A.


International: Germany 31 caps 7 goals.
Trophies Won: German Bundesliga 2023/24. German FA Cup 2023/24. German Super Cup 2024/25.


Liverpool's record signing, Wirtz is probably the most exciting signing the club have made since FSG bought Liverpool. Not just because of his qualities as a player, but also it is the sign of intent to continue to add top class players even though the club have just won the Premier League. It shows that LFC learnt a lesson from the last title win, when they failed to build on the success.

An established German international, even though just 22 years old, it was a big surprise when it became clear that, despite all the noise they had made about having his signing wrapped up, Wirtz was not going to be joining Bayern Munich. Even more surprising was his decision to reject Manchester City and their billions because he had decided to join Liverpool.

Of course none of that means he will definitely be a success in English football, but Wirtz certainly has the tools to do so. He is quick, strong on the ball, with excellent dribbling skills and the ability to go either way when running with the ball. Wirtz is extremely difficult to defend against as he is fully capable of running down the flank to put a ball in, to cut inside and play a through ball or to just shoot himself.



Added to that, he is fully capable of playing just about every position in the attack and in central midfield, making him an extremely versatile player. With a tactician like Arne Slot in charge, someone who likes to adjust the team on the fly during games, that versatility is going to be a massive bonus. It is one of those signings that, on paper at least, seems like a dream signing, but only time will tell if it is a dream or will turn into an expensive nightmare.

It is difficult to come up with a down side, apart from the huge financial outlay, for bringing in Wirtz, and even that financial outlay will be mitigated in large part by merchandising sales, I would expect. Finding a weakness to his game is not easy, with the only thing that is ever highlighted being a possible lack of defensive work. However, the question with that is whether that is a lack or a tactical ploy? He was certainly not tasked with chasing back or covering in front of a full-back while playing for Leverkusen, so it is uncertain whether it is him at fault or if he was just following instruction.

One thing that could be viewed as a potential issue can also be viewed as a potential plus - his injury history. He did have a cruciate ligament tear back in 2022 which ruled him out for a long period, which is always a worry over whether it has left any long term issues or if there is a possibility of recurrence. But, the way he dealt with it as a teenager to come back even better and lead Leverkusen to a season beyond belief suggests there is excellent character and mental strength there.

I personally am struggling to contain my excitement regarding his arrival as I see shades of one of my favourite all-time players at times when I have watched him. There are just times when he does things that Andres Iniesta used to do. Wirtz does not glide across the turf like Iniesta did, but he has a similar skillset, an ability to manipulate the ball in ways that confound the defence. The strength to ride challenges and keep the ball, the intelligence to know when to pass. He truly is a special talent.

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