Wirtz Faces Liverpool Challenge as Merson Offers Insight
Florian Wirtz’s high-profile move to Liverpool has sparked widespread debate, with former Arsenal midfielder and pundit Paul Merson offering his assessment of the German star’s slow start at Anfield. Signed from Bayer Leverkusen for a staggering £116 million in the summer, expectations were understandably immense. Yet, ten games into his Premier League career, Wirtz remains without a goal and has just a single assist to his name.
Merson pinpoints tactical difficulty
Merson, speaking on Sky Sports, was quick to defend the 22-year-old, suggesting that Liverpool’s attacking environment and the Premier League’s defensive tendencies are to blame for his subdued performances.
“You don’t become a bad player overnight,” he said. “Florian Wirtz cost over £100 million for a reason. I’ve watched him a lot — he’s a brilliant footballer. The issue isn’t him, it’s the space he’s not getting. In Germany, the game opens up. Even the lower teams go and attack the top sides, which leaves gaps. But in England, when Liverpool have the ball, ten men are behind it. There’s no room for him to work.”
Merson’s point touches on a broader tactical challenge facing creative midfielders transitioning from the Bundesliga to the Premier League. The pace and physicality of English football often deny them the time and space they thrive on, particularly when opponents sit deep at Anfield.
Slot remains patient amid scrutiny
Liverpool manager Arne Slot, however, has urged calm. Ahead of his side’s clash with Manchester United, he defended Wirtz’s performances and highlighted moments of quality that have gone unrewarded due to fine margins.
“If you’ve been brought in for that kind of money, people focus on goals and assists,” Slot said. “But he could already have six or seven assists if others had finished off his passes. Against Chelsea, he played a beautiful flick through after one minute that on another day is a goal. Against Atletico Madrid, it’s the same — only the post stopped him from another assist.”
Slot added that Wirtz’s underlying numbers suggest promise, even if his tangible returns remain modest. “He’s been a bit unlucky,” he said. “For a 22-year-old adapting to a new country and a league as demanding as this, it’s normal to need time.”
German influence and long-term belief
Back in Germany, national team boss Julian Nagelsmann remains confident in Wirtz’s development, calling him a “generational talent” and maintaining that his technical ability will soon translate into consistent Premier League performances. Some pundits have even gone as far as to predict he could one day compete for the Ballon d’Or.
Liverpool’s hierarchy, too, appear relaxed about his trajectory. The recruitment team were well aware of the adaptation period likely required for Wirtz to adjust to the intensity of English football. His intelligence in possession and composure under pressure remain key reasons why the club made him their marquee summer signing.
Adjusting to a new rhythm
Patience, it seems, will be vital. Wirtz arrived at Liverpool not just to fill a creative role, but to symbolise a new tactical direction under Slot — one focused on technical control and precision rather than raw chaos. Yet, that transformation was never going to happen overnight.
Merson’s analysis may ring true for now, but Wirtz’s vision and adaptability suggest he has the tools to thrive once he fully acclimatises to the speed and structure of Premier League football. For Liverpool supporters eager for instant impact, it might take just one decisive moment — one goal or assist — to unlock the confidence and rhythm that defined him in Germany.
