Florian Wirtz likened to ‘brilliant’ Man United player who couldn’t cope with Premier League
Florian Wirtz has struggled to have any sort of meaningful impact for Liverpool since joining Arne Slot’s side this summer.
Wirtz was signed by Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen this summer, briefly becoming Britain’s most expensive ever signing, before Alexander Isak‘s arrival at Anfield usurped him of that title.
The young attacking midfielder lit up the Bundesliga before his move to England, scoring 35 and assisting 44 in 140 appearances in Germany’s top flight.
However, Wirtz has struggled since joining Liverpool, and there are now concerns his career may be following a similar trajectory to that of a world-class midfielder who flopped during his time in the Premier League.
Florian Wirtz may suffer similar fate to Juan Sebastian Veron
Juan Sebastian Veron joined Man United in 2001 after establishing himself as one of Serie A’s best players.
During the late 90s and the mid-2000s, the Italian top-flight was home to many of the world’s best players and teams, including the likes of Ballon d’Or winners Zinedine Zidane, Pavel Nedved, and Andriy Shevchenko.
Veron himself placed 8th in the voting for the award two years prior to his arrival in England, but during a three-year spell with Man United and Chelsea, the Argentine international failed to adapt to the Premier League, quietly leaving the Blues after spending three years away on loan between 2004 and 2007.
Writing in The Times, former Premier League striker Tony Cascarino compared the two attacking midfielders, saying: “Wirtz’s difficulties in adapting are not a unique situation; there is a long list of players who have been unable to recreate their form when moving to the Premier League.
“I can remember Denis Irwin telling me how good Juan Sebastián Verón was in training when he went to Manchester United from Lazio in 2001.
“Verón was signed for £28million, huge money back then, and arrived with a big reputation, but couldn’t make it work in England for Manchester United or Chelsea.
“He was still a brilliant player, just unable to translate his skill set into a different environment, and Wirtz is showing similar signs.”
Wirtz’s Liverpool stats a cause for concern
Veron is one of many players who have struggled to translate their form from one league to another, and the concern for the Reds is that Wirtz may suffer a similar fate.
One of the biggest issues facing the young German star is the tactical adjustment he is being forced to make, having been the centre-piece of Leverkusen’s system for several years before his exit.
Mohamed Salah is the star of Liverpool’s side, and the system Slot has built caters to the Egyptian winger, but it is not the only tactical difference Wirtz is struggling to acclimate to.
As the stats below show, both Veron and the 22-year-old found it difficult to provide goal involvements, which is not a good sign for a player who cost £116million.
In Xabi Alonso’s 3-4-2-1, the 22-year-old played on the left side of an attacking triangle, teaming up with the marauding Alejandro Grimaldo.
That system gave Wirtz the space to move wide when he saw fit and Nathan Tella’s speed through the middle often drew midfielders out of position.
But at Liverpool, the midfield maestro is locked in a central position, with Cody Gakpo often crowding the middle of the pitch by moving inside, leaving the German international with even less space to work in.
And while Veron’s attempt to find form in the Premier League ultimately fell flat all those years ago, Wirtz’s recovery from a devastating ACL injury three years ago to become a world-class player has shown that he should not be underestimated.
That is exactly what Liverpool fans will be hoping to see once he finally finds his feet in England, although the price tag that hangs above his head means he will face a near-constant scrutiny until truly he makes his mark for the Reds.