Phil Thompson says Wirtz can be hybrid of two Liverpool icons after transfer news
Phil Thompson has shared an interesting theory as to why Liverpool want to sign Florian Wirtz.
The German star looks set to move to Anfield despite Bayer Leverkusen rejecting a £113million bid from the Merseysiders.
The 22-year-old is understood to have agreed personal terms with the Reds, and it seems like a deal will be reached in the coming days.
Wirtz is Coutinho and Firmino rolled into one
Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho are icons on Merseyside due to their exploits in the red shirt over the years.
The former left as a legend while his fellow Brazilian netted a £142m fee, which allowed Jurgen Klopp to sign Alisson and Virgil van Dijk, which put the Reds on the path to greatness.
Former captain Thompson believes that the hierarchy believes that the Leverkusen star is a hybrid of both players.
Speaking on talkSPORT (9 June, 9:36 am), he said: “I think the club see him as a cross between Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho, that sort of nine and a half, he has got that great ability to get in between the lines and be creative.
“One of those areas where we struggled last year was packed defences, and we had to break them down.
“We did do eventually, but I think Arne Slot is looking for that player who can work between the lines, be creative and still get goals.”
Liverpool have got a gem in Wirtz
Wirtz would be a game-changing signing, there is no doubt about that, he is one of the hottest properties in world football for a reason.
The L4 outfit have reportedly beaten Manchester City, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich to the signature of the German ace in a major coup.
He has notched 57 goals and 65 assists in 197 games for Leverkusen in all competitions since his move from FC Koln and is set to be a superstar alongside the likes of Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo for Slot’s side.
If they pull off a deal for Wirtz, it may essentially wrap up their Premier League title defence before a ball is even kicked, as he is a huge upgrade on what they have in the number ten position and can also operate on the left flank or as a false nine like Firmino.
It is a huge statement of intent from Fenway Sports Group after years of being labelled as unwilling to spend due to a refusal to sanction every transfer under the sun.
The Americans have shown that they are willing to break the bank when they feel like the player justifies the fee, as is the case with the German ace.