EXCLUSIVE: It’s been a difficult first season for Florian Wirtz at Liverpool, and the German international has been urged to up his game along with two of his teammates
Florian Wirtz has had a difficult first season at Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)
Florian Wirtz has been told he needs to do more next season, with two of his Liverpool teammates also handed “brutally honest” reviews of their season by a former Red.
Wirtz has endured a difficult first season following his record-breaking move from Bayer Leverkusen last summer. Although there have been glimpses of his talent, the 22-year-old has so far struggled to reach the same heights he hit in Germany.
He has six goals and nine assists from his 44 appearances in all competitions for his club this season. While his returns improved following a poor start to life at Anfield, his contributions have dried up again recently, with just two assists in his last 12 games.
READ MORE: Arne Slot names ‘first aim’ of Liverpool summer transfers with two additions already confirmedREAD MORE: Everton chairman ‘kicked’ Liverpool icons out of stadium after late dramaFormer Liverpool teammate Dominic Matteo agrees, and has told Liverpool.com exclusively via BetSelect.co.uk that he wants to see Wirtz follow Mohamed Salah’s lead next season.
Giving his verdict on Liverpool’s signings last summer, Matteo said: “Have they hit the ground running as [Hugo] Ekitike did for good periods of it? Not really. I don’t think anyone, apart from Ekitike, has had a real, massive impact.
Liverpool’s summer signings have had a difficult first season(Image: Harry Langer/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
“That’s a big part of the Premier League. Salah was so good at that for so many years, very strong, very physical in certain areas.
Get LFC’s 2025/26 season home and away kits
Liverpool’s home and away strips for the 2025/26 season are the first in their new partnership with adidas.
Fans can order jerseys in the US at Fanatics.com or via the LFC Online Store in both the US and across the world.
“I think Wirtz would be the one that next season I wanted to go and run the games, run the show, be the best player on the pitch. You know, and then let Dominik [Szoboszlai] go and do his work around that. I think those two are on the same page, football intelligence-wise. I think they’ve both got really good football brains.”
Wirtz is far from the only Liverpool player to come in for criticism this season, and Matteo admits he’s also been left disappointed by Alexis Mac Allister.
The Argentina international was one of the standout performers in the two years following his 2023 signing, but question marks have started to emerge as his place in the side becomes less assured.
Alexis Mac Allister’s place in Liverpool’s team has come under question this season(Image: Getty Images)
“I was so impressed with Mac Allister when we first got him,” Matteo said. “But I think we need that midfield area to be a lot tougher and a bit more physical.
“That’s where games are won and lost, in the midfield. And if I’m being brutally honest, I think we need more from that area.”
Matteo added: “It’s difficult when you buy those players for that amount of money, and it’s not really happened, [Alexander] Isak, for example. If Isak had been firing, maybe Liverpool would be in a completely different position.”
Source link
