It has been 3 months since Liverpool spent up to 116 million pounds to bring in Florian Wirtz with the expectation that he would become a player who could change the game. However, they will probably have to wait at least another year to see the return from this huge investment.
After 7 matches for Liverpool, Wirtz is still struggling to find a way to leave his mark. Perhaps he himself did not expect the first experience at the Merseyside derby to come from the bench, only being able to come on as a substitute and watching the match mainly from the sidelines.
Thanks to the combination of Liverpool's major reform in the summer, Premier League harshness and a powerful attack under Arne Slot, Wirtz is always exhausted every time he leaves the pitch.
Wirtz has yet to score or assist for Liverpool in an official match. His only contribution was an assist in the Community Shield against Crystal Palace - which was only seen as a friendly match.
During his appearances, the 22-year-old midfielder only left the image of a supporting character. The Merseyside derby against Everton marked the first time Slot had dropped him out of the starting lineup. And without Wirtz, Liverpool won.
Can the German international shine for Liverpool? There is a high possibility. The perfect start of the port city football team has somewhat eased public pressure. However, it would be too risky to bet on Wirtz becoming a mainstay this season.
Wirtz is not the first name to come to England with a famous reputation but struggles to meet expectations. Dennis Bergkamp and Rober Pires had a difficult first season at Arsenal before becoming legends under Arsene Wenger.
Juan Sebastian Veron, one of the best attacking midfielders in the world when he left Lazio to join Manchester United in 2001, has never adapted to the Premier League pace, whether at Old Trafford or later Chelsea. Mesut Ozil has also been criticised for shining only at home, not in more tough away games against Arsenal.
According to British media, Man United have become more cautious when signing German attacking midfielders after the failures of Shinji Kagawa and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, two signings from Dortmund in 2012 and 2016, respectively. The Red Devils believe that the Bundesliga's slower pace and less tight schedule make it difficult for many players to immediately prepare for the intensity of physical strength and pressure in the Premier League - something Wirtz is also struggling with.
"We brought in very good players, very talented players, but they are young and come from other tournaments. Florian Wirtz is only 22 years old, while Hugo Ekitike is 23. I think it's normal. If you are not 27 or 28 years old, perhaps you need another step to adapt to the Premier League. And that is exactly what they are going through," said Arne Slot earlier this month.
The player born in 2003 has denied interest from Manchester City and Bayern Munich to join the Premier League champions in June. Although both teams are ready to give the former Bayer Leverkusen midfielder a clearer role than what he has at Anfield.
At Man City, Pep Guardiola sees Wirtz as a replacement for Kevin De Bruyne in terms of scoring ability and vision after the Belgian joined Napoli as a free agent. Meanwhile, Bayern are ready to let him partner Harry Kane, forming a destructive pair in the tournament that Wirtz dominated when he was at Leverkusen.
It is easy to imagine that Wirtz will integrate smoothly in both teams. However, he chose Liverpool because of the attraction from Anfield and the club's vision.
However, with the rapid changes at Anfield last summer - 6 new players arrived, 6 first-team players left, and the sudden passing of Diogo Jota, Arne Slot's squad is still in the process of taking shape.
Ekitike has made an impressive start with 4 goals in 7 matches after joining Eintracht Frankfurt for 79 million pounds. In contrast, Milos Kerkez has been inconsistent at left-back, Jeremie Frimpong has been hampered by injuries, and Alexander Isak is still finding his fitness after moving on the final day of the transfer window from Newcastle.
In that context, Wirtz was considered the most disappointing contract to date. However, the stable performance of names like Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Virgil van Dijk helped Liverpool win 100% in all competitions. Therefore, the German rookie somewhat avoided the pressure.
It will probably take more time before Wirtz meets Liverpool's expectations. Currently, he is just trying to regain his rhythm in a new, volatile and harsh environment.
