Florian Wirtz tipped to star for Liverpool as ‘outstanding’ claim made
Florian Wirtz has not had the best start to his career at Liverpool.
Wirtz joined Liverpool in a £116million move from Bayer Leverkusen, but he has failed to live up to the lofty expectations so far.
Dominik Szoboszlai has outshone Wirtz for Liverpool, as Arne Slot‘s side have made a 100 per cent start to their Premier League title defence.
The Hungarian’s defensive contributions and importance to the pressing system may leave Wirtz concerned about his starting spot.
Liverpool News presents the exclusive opinion of iconic football commentator Ian Darke.
Florian Wirtz tipped to star for Liverpool despite early setbacks
Wirtz’s struggles continued away from Liverpool, as he underwhelmed in Germany’s 2-0 defeat to Slovakia on Friday evening.
However, Darke believes that Wirtz will come good for the Reds eventually; he just needs time to get used to English football.
Speaking exclusively to Liverpool News, he said: “Wirtz hasn’t really quite settled yet, but everybody knows he is an outstanding young talent.
“There was always going to be just a little settling-in period for him, as he adjusts to the pace and his role in a new team, and I think that is what you are seeing early on.
“I have got absolutely no doubts that he is going to wind up being an extremely influential player for Liverpool this season.”
Liverpool can rely on Florian Wirtz in the future
Obviously, the big fee means there is an immediate pressure to succeed, especially in the age of social media criticising a player’s every move.
While the 22-year-old has not notched a goal or assist in the league yet, his underlying numbers have been impressive and suggest that the contributions will come, sooner rather than later.
- Wirtz has created four chances in three league matches, second only to Cody Gakpo, who has six
- Wirtz has created 0.4 expected assists, with only Gakpo ahead of him with 0.5
- Wirtz ranks second behind Curtis Jones for possession won in the final third on a per 90 basis, with 1.1
He notched a total of 35 goals and 47 assists in 140 Bundesliga matches in his time in Germany, and it is only a matter of time before he starts to make an impact in the English game.
He is one of the best creative talents in world football, and with Alexander Isak coming in at Anfield, he should thrive soon enough.
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