Arne Slot has recruited Florian Wirtz to help him maintain an iron grip on the Premier League trophy, but how will the German fare?
Liverpool have made their ambitions loud and clear to their Premier League rivals with the addition of Bayer Leverkusen midfield maestro Florian Wirtz for £116m. How do you make a title-winning team better? Well, Richard Hughes and Arne Slot are displaying just how.
“He will bring a lot of class and poise,” said German football expert Raphael Honigstein to BBC Sport about Wirtz. “He is more or less the fully-formed article.”
But of course, Wirtz comes to Anfield under the weight of expectation. The Premier League has consistently been proved to be different to other leagues, if not necessarily in terms of quality, then in terms of the pace and physicality. Players have often reported that when they first came to England they discovered they were allowed less time on the ball, afforded less space. And defenders can be rougher and more unforgiving.
“[Wirtz] has played for Leverkusen and Germany so he knows the demands that are on him, but still he will have to adjust to the pace of the Premier League and the more physical way,” said Honigstein.
“Opponents will try to negate his influence and that might prove a challenge, but he is young enough and good enough. He is not easily intimidated and stands up strong to the challenge. You are buying a superstar.”
Manchester City and Bayern Munich were both interested in the player, but word emerged that he had chosen to play for Liverpool instead. Reports that this was because only Liverpool were willing to pay the budget-draining amount it required to prise him from Leverkusen are almost certainly untrue. In fact, Arne Slot convinced the player that he had the best project for him.
“The key factor was, unlike other clubs, Liverpool presented a really thought-out vision,” said Honigstein. “A very clear vision of how and where he will play.
“At Bayern, it was very difficult to fit him in alongside Jamal Musiala. At Manchester City they haven’t had that central player. I don’t think any club came near when representing the ultimate package and vision.”
But where exactly does Slot have in mind for Wirtz? One of the key ingredients of Liverpool’s 2024-25 super potion was the perfect balance of midfield trio Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai. Is a shake-up on the cards, then?
Of course, Wirtz could be deployed in the front line as a false nine, dropping deep to link-up play in a similar manner to Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele. Slot had a front row seat across two legs as the enigmatic Frenchman helped tear down his side’s Champions League ambitions before they could even kick into second gear, after what had been a more than promising league phase.
But Honigstein doesn’t think so.
“His best position, and the position that has been earmarked him for him in talks with Arne Slot, is that number 10 central role,” said Honigstein. “In a slightly reshuffled Liverpool, more Dutch and more ‘Arne Slot’ team.
“He will be the fulcrum in attack. A player who can pick up spaces between the line, has an eye for the killer ball but never loses sight of the goal. He can score goals himself and is very tenacious. A very modern number 10 and a player a lot of clubs wanted.”
