Florian Wirtz – Liverpool’s future Ballon d’Or winner who could be worth every penny

What once threatened to be a destabilising summer for Liverpool is now looking like a transformational one.

With Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk’s futures assured and an exciting replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold in Jeremie Frimpong already in place, many of Liverpool’s most pressing concerns have already been addressed.

A footballer who is the envy of Europe will now arrive at Anfield with the Premier League champions avoiding the fatal mistake of standing still in the transfer window having made their way back to the top.

Florian Wirtz is not coming cheap. In a deal worth a guaranteed £100million plus £16m in add-ons, he becomes the most expensive sale in Bundesliga history and the most expensive signing in Liverpool history. If those add-ons are achieved, he will become the most expensive signing in Premier League history.  

So what exactly are Liverpool getting for their money?

Wirtz, while right-footed, is primarily a left-sided attacking midfielder but shines across the final third, on the wing, in central roles and on the right.

He has grown into one the Bundesliga’s most devastating talents, a player regarded as the beating heart of the German national team alongside Jamal Musiala for years to come.

The stats behind his rise are impressive. Only Jeremy Doku has attempted more forward passes than Wirtz across the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga and Serie A in the season just gone. Able to effortlessly glide past the opposition, he has completed the most dribbles in Germany ahead of Musiala and Michael Olise. Only one other player has registered more than 10 goals and 10 assists in each of the last two seasons – his future teammate, Mohamed Salah.

Massive transfer fee for Florian Wirtz is justified

Dominik Szoboszlai was brought to Liverpool two summers ago. While a very useful addition, one highly-rated by Arne Slot, he does not possess the ability on the ball to effortlessly break lines like the German does.

The variety in his work on the ball is what separates him from other creative midfielders across the continent – disguised passes, flicks and using the outside of his boot are all part of his impressive repertoire.

While at his most effective further up the pitch, Wirtz has demonstrated his ability to drop deep and drive forward himself. Sat in front of Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister, a midfield partnership that blossomed at Liverpool last season, Wirtz will have room to cause havoc.

‘Wirtz thrives best when he is involved across all phases in the game,’ German football expert Ninad Barbadikar told Metro.

‘Though he is generally considered an attacking midfielder, it isn’t uncommon to see Wirtz drop deep to collect the ball, sometimes from the centre-backs as well. He is an excellent carrier of the ball and his deft touches allow him to have the advantage in most 1vs1 duels.

‘For Arne Slot at Liverpool, I see Wirtz slotting seamlessly into the number 10 spot ahead of the double pivot and dictating the flow of Liverpool’s attacks with his vision and intelligence in the final third.’

Florian Wirtz’s hard work in addition to goals and assists

Wirtz hit 18 goals and 20 assists in Bayer Leverkusen’s title-winning 2023-24 campaign, maintaining that output with 16 and 15 last term. It’s easy to see why he was coveted by Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Manchester City.  

But his commitment to the cause is another factor in why Slot and Liverpool’s recruitment department have been so desperate to bring him to Merseyside. Diligent and intelligent pressing from the front has been a hallmark of his game away from the creative side of things with only Michael Olise winning possession in the attacking third more often than Wirtz last season.

‘I just have the physique to get into lots of challenges. I give everything in every game for us to win’, Wirtz said in a recent interview.

‘So I also look for challenges or run back because that’s part of helping my team be successful. I want to give my all and run until I can’t anymore.’

A future Ballon d’Or winner… and the next Kevin de Bruyne?

With the days of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s dominance long gone, the battle for the Ballon d’Or is once again a wide-open race with Lamine Yamal and Desire Doue perhaps two young stars most primed for future supremacy.

Wirtz however will have other plans.

‘I’ve always said this about him. He is absolutely a future Ballon d’Or winner,’ Barbadikar said. ‘I expect that to happen for him in the next two to three seasons. He’s just that good.’

Kevin De Bruyne has held the title of the Premier League’s best midfielder for the better part of a decade. But City’s decision to let the Belgian leave has opened the door for a successor to step up.

There is good reason City explored a move for Wirtz before deciding the terms of a proposed deal were too rich for their blood. In Rayan Cherki, Pep Guardiola’s side will hope to have signed their own creative genius for a quarter of the price. But it’s their biggest domestic rivals who may have brought the true heir to the throne.

‘The standard and quality of his technique, vision and passing makes a comparison to Kevin de Bruyne very straightforward,’ Barbadikar said.

‘He’s got all those tools if not the same physicality just yet. I think there’s also some hints of Thiago Alcantara about him, in the way he controls the ball and his measured touches whenever in possession. Those two players come to my mind immediately in terms of a direct comparison.’

Living up to the price tag is a burden that has proved too heavy for many – including a former member of the Liverpool parish in Philippe Coutinho. But in joining an-already fearsome Liverpool machine, the platform is there for Wirtz to hit the ground running.

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