Arne Slot concerned about Florian Wirtz after dismal start at Liverpool
Liverpool’s strong start to the season has began to stutter in recent games leading to fresh concerns for Arne Slot to contend with at Anfield.
Crystal Palace beat Liverpool 2-1 at Selhurst Park, before the Reds suffered another 1-0 defeat away at Galatasaray in the Champions League.
A number of the Reds’ first-team stars have been heavily criticised for their performances including the likes of Ibrahima Konate and Alexander Isak.
However, it is Florian Wirtz’s recent form which has been highlighted as Liverpool fans have raged at Wirtz, going as far as to label him one of the worst signings ever.
Since his £116million move to Anfield from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer, the attacking midfielder has still yet to register a goal or an assist in eight appearances.
Arne Slot concerned about Florian Wirtz’s performances
Wirtz has been compared to Juan Sebastian Veron, whose impressive reputation did little to help him adjust to Premier League football at Man United and Chelsea.
As I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Slot is concerned about the midfielder’s performances so far, while the player is also not happy with his start and determined to show his best levels at Anfield.
However, Liverpool have been urged to be patient and stick with him through the tough run to help him adapt and eventually get back to his best.
Speaking on the Inside Track podcast, I explained: “There will be a bit of concern. I think there’ll be concern from Slot, and there’ll be concern from Wirtz as well.
“He’s not the only one struggling for form in that Liverpool team, but obviously his price tag and reputation brings even more scrutiny onto Wirtz.
“He hasn’t scored or assisted in any of his Premier League or Champions League appearances so far, which people have been surprised by given how impressive he was for Leverkusen.
“Liverpool need to be patient, they need to let him get used to his new surroundings with a bit of continuity and to get a settled run in the team.
“He needs a settled position too, Slot needs to work out where his best position is in this Liverpool team and give him time to adjust to their way of playing.
“He’s a quality player, there are no doubts about that.
“Once he gets used to the pace of the Premier League and gets used to playing with his new team at Liverpool, I’m sure we’ll see the best of Wirtz because I’m sure a top player like that will definitely find his form at some point sooner rather than later.”
Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish has backed Wirtz to succeed soon, tipping him to form a relationship with Isak if they continue starting games together.
Ibrahima Konate adds to Slot’s Liverpool concerns
Wirtz is not the only player sparking concerns at Liverpool, however, with Konate’s recent performances adding to the speculation surrounding his future.
Liverpool fans have called for Konate to be sold after his back-to-back disaster performances against Crystal Palace and Galatasaray in the past week.
As a result, former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Liverpool are prepared to let Konate leave if they can land a replacement.
Brown first told Football Insider in February that Liverpool are concerned about Konate and his future at the club amid interest from Real Madrid.
Jean-Philippe Mateta gave him issues throughout the Palace game, and questions are now being asked about his long-term place alongside Virgil van Dijk.
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