Is Wirtz struggling at Liverpool as badly as most outside observers believe? Some criticism has been over the top, and a fee rising to £116m only increases the pressure, but yes — compared with his performances in Germany and for Germany, Wirtz has underwhelmed at Liverpool. The past week summed up his Liverpool career so far. In the Champions League rout of Lask he was everywhere, exploiting gaps between and behind the Austrian club’s defence and tying together a dominant display against limited opposition. In the previous game against Manchester City, however, when Andoni Iraola needed big players to step up in the absence of Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai, Wirtz was ineffective, wasteful and withdrawn as his team chased the game at 0-1. It also did not help his cause that Rayan Cherki, a cheaper alternative Liverpool considered and passed on, sealed City’s victory with a sublime goal. AH
What are the main reasons for this? The physicality and intensity of the Premier League appear to be Wirtz’s biggest issues. He can be swamped and knocked aside, leaving Liverpool’s central midfield exposed. Iraola this week rejected the idea that the playmaker is struggling with English football, although his answer almost edged toward supporting that argument. “It’s not about whether they are foreign teams or English teams,” the head coach said. “It’s about different kinds of games. Some games are more comfortable, with more time to think, sometimes less. It’s not about the competition.” But, as Brentford are likely to show on Saturday, there is less time to think and little chance to get comfortable in the Premier League. Wirtz produced three assists in 11 Champions League games last season, the same number as in 33 Premier League matches. His passing accuracy this season — from a admittedly small sample — is 80% in the Premier League and 91.5% in the Champions League. AH
Chart showing players with the highest number of unsuccessful touches in the 2026-27 Premier League
Does he have the ‘on-pitch personality’ to succeed at Liverpool? That is a question that can be asked of many of Liverpool’s signings since the 2025 title win. The shift toward buying expensive “finished products” has left many longing for the hunger and spirit of emerging talent that defined the club’s resurgence under Jürgen Klopp. Wirtz does not have an ego to match his price tag. He is a conscientious, dedicated professional whom Iraola, like Arne Slot before him, has found to be a good listener willing to put team instructions first. He is also, it seems easy to forget, only 23. Wirtz may not be a demonstrative force, but he shows personality on the ball, always looking to receive it and take responsibility. His talent is clear but has not been seen consistently enough in a Liverpool shirt. AH
What needs to happen tactically, and in general, for him to thrive at the club? Wirtz was sold on Slot’s vision of him as the central, creative force of a new-look Liverpool attack that would turn the slender wins of the title-winning season into dominant, emphatic victories. It never happened, and Slot was sacked without finding the position that best suited Wirtz. Iraola immediately confirmed Wirtz would be his No 10 and set to work on building a close rapport between him and Isak. There were some promising signs before Isak got injured again. Wirtz can justifiably argue that forces beyond his control have worked against him at Liverpool and that, as his relationship with Bradley Barcola and Isak improves, so will his end product. He would also be helped by the addition of an out-and-out defensive midfielder who could give Wirtz licence to roam and offer greater protection to the Liverpool defence. Monaco’s Lamine Camara, whose proposed move to Chelsea collapsed on deadline day, is of interest. AH
How good was Wirtz at Bayer Leverkusen? Unbelievably so. In his final two seasons in the Bundesliga you could make the case that he was the best player in it. He racked up goals and assists in European competoo (he was excellent in the Champions League in 2024-25 before injury halted him in the knockouts), but you can’t just describe it in terms of numbers. He dominated the big matches and acted as the conductor of Leverkusen’s orchestra. Teams who tried to kick him out of games almost universally failed, which makes the idea that he can’t handle the Premier League physically a flawed explanation for his difficulties. A chart showing the leading players for combined goals and assists in the Bundesliga across 2023-24 and 2024-25.
How much of his success was down to his ‘on-pitch personality’? Partly it was, but on a technical and tactical level his success was also partly down to the freedom Xabi Alonso allowed him. As Alonso said in November 2023 (during Leverkusen’s unbeaten double-winning season), every player had a responsibility to patrol an allotted zone “but Flo is different” – he was given licence to probe opposing defences as he saw fit. Alonso’s rotation of him made sure he remained fresh and impactful; his hat-trick in the 5-0 win over Werder Bremen that clinched the title in 2024 came after he was brought on as a half-time substitute. A skip past newsletter promotion. Free newsletter | Every weekday. Sign up to Football Daily. Kick off your evenings with the Guardian’s take on the world of football. Enter your email. Sign up. After newsletter promotion.
Is the Bundesliga being weaker than the Premier League a factor? I don’t think we can say that isn’t a factor – but this is something Wirtz himself predicted. Many in his entourage thought he would be better served by joining Bayern Munich instead of Liverpool, and he acknowledged he was taking the tougher option. He knew it was a risk but was determined to challenge himself. Another point is how different the Bundesliga is tactically; it has a similarly high tempo but is far more chaotic, which is perfect for a player with his sang-froid to exploit. A chart showing the median Opta team strength rating of the clubs in Europe’s big five leagues.
He shone recently for Germany. Is he being used in a notably different way? He has been given greater freedom (and a little less responsibility off the ball), more akin to his Leverkusen role, but what has been important is having Klopp cheerlead for him. The manager has not missed an opportunity to say how great Wirtz is or how his good international form is “good for Liverpool”. Klopp also gave him the captaincy for the last game (and a half), showing Wirtz and the world that he believes not only in his talent and influence but in him as a leader. It feels like the more contact he has with Klopp, the better for him and his club. A.
Do you have faith in Wirtz being a success at Liverpool? Wirtz can be a class act, a lovely footballer to watch, and it would be premature to write off a gifted talent who – as the previous answer about Isak and a defensive midfielder suggests – has not had the platform to fully express himself at Liverpool. But the question of whether the Premier League suits him and whether he suits this Liverpool team continues to gnaw away. Wirtz needed a strong start to the season after the difficulties of his debut campaign at Anfield and, with one assist and no goals in six Premier League appearances, that has not materialised. There was encouragement in his overall performance and in his understanding with Barcola against Lask, as there has been on several Champions League nights, but Iraola needs his playmaker to produce a repeat in games such as Brentford away. Wirtz will remain categorised as a luxury player if another difficult Premier League assignment passes him by. A H.
Maybe. The deck has been largely stacked against him since he arrived: there were too many changes to a champion team in the summer he arrived, plus he was expected to pull the strings in a side that still had Mohamed Salah. He has overcome big setbacks before, such as the 2022 anterior cruciate ligament injury that took a long while to get over, so he has the character to go with his class. Wirtz has the ability to succeed at Anfield butUnless the conditions around him change, I think it will be very hard to do so (I can imagine him being great for Bayern in a couple of years, after Michael Olise). AB
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs The Florian Wirtz Mystery Why Hasnt He Found His Leverkusen Form at Liverpool
1 What is The Florian Wirtz mystery
Its the puzzle of why Wirtz one of Europes best attacking midfielders at Bayer Leverkusen has looked far less effective since joining Liverpool
2 Who is Florian Wirtz
A German attacking midfielder born in 2003 who starred for Leverkusen and Germany and became one of the most soughtafter young players in world football
3 How good was he at Leverkusen
He was the creative centerpiece of a titlewinning side racking up double figures in goals and assists dictating tempo and driving the team forward
4 When did he join Liverpool
In the summer of 2025 for a clubrecord fee reported around 100m
5 What does form mean in football
A players level of performance over a run of games covering output and overall impact on the team
6 Why hasnt he hit the same heights yet
The most cited reasons adaptation time a new leagues pace and physicality a different tactical role and settling into a new country and squad
7 Is the Premier League really that different
Yes Its faster more physical and less forgiving of time on the ball than the Bundesliga especially for a player who thrives in tight spaces
8 How is he being used differently at Liverpool
Hes often asked to press harder play further from goal and share creative duties whereas at Leverkusen the team was built around him
9 Did Leverkusen build the team around him
Largely yes He was the freeroaming focal point with runners and structure designed to get him on the ball in dangerous areas
10 Is the price tag a factor
It adds pressure and scrutiny but it doesnt change how he plays It mainly affects expectations from fans and media
11 Is he actually playing badly or just not scoring
Often its the latter his underlying numbers can look fine even when goals and assists are low
12 What are underlying numbers
Stats like
