Florian Wirtz handed brutal Liverpool verdict after £116m transfer – ‘If you asked him’

Florian Wirtz has struggled to make an impact at Liverpool since his British record move and Emmanuel Petit believes the German would admit he’s not worth the fee

Liverpool’s £116m signing Florian Wirtz has endured a rocky start to his career at Anfield, failing to score or assist in the Premier League since his move from Bayer Leverkusen. The German international has even been benched for recent matches against Everton and Chelsea.

The 22-year-old is under increasing scrutiny as a result, despite several German football legends coming to his defence amid criticism in England. His transfer fee, which was a potential British record before Liverpool’s £125m acquisition of Alexander Isak from Newcastle United on transfer deadline day, has inevitably drawn him further significant attention – which has only increased the longer his slow start continued.

However, ex-Arsenal and Chelsea player Emmanuel Petit has voiced his opinion that Wirtz isn’t worth the hefty price tag Liverpool paid. He believes that given Wirtz’s shaky start at Anfield, the midfielder would likely agree.

“The Premier League is a different challenge to the Bundesliga,” the World Cup winner said when speaking to Boyle Sports “Leverkusen often counter-attacked, giving him space to perform. Liverpool dominate opponents, so the tactics are different.

“Florian Wirtz is coming to a new culture and environment with significant pressure. Honestly, I don’t believe he’s worth the transfer fee, despite the respect I have for him as a player.

READ MORE: Trent Alexander-Arnold free to complete Liverpool reunion after Real Madrid updateREAD MORE: Man Utd starlet makes bold Anfield claim before Liverpool match – with one big problem

“I think some players suffer because of the deals between clubs. If you asked him, he’d probably say he isn’t worth that money, but it’s the reality.

“I understand it will take time for him to adapt his style to the Premier League. He’s talented, so I believe he will succeed, but he’ll need more games and a better understanding with his teammates.

“The Premier League is not the Bundesliga, and Liverpool plays differently than Leverkusen.”

Speaking last month, Liverpool boss Arne Slot claimed Wirtz has a darker side on the pitch that can help him thrive in the Premier League. He said: “To say that he’s an artist doesn’t do him justice.

“He is an artist, but he can be mean as well. Otherwise, you can’t reach the levels he’s reaching. He works incredibly hard here in this building to get better and better and better.

“So that mentality he has inside of him and you also see that mentality when he loses the ball once or twice. He’s not going to hide, he wants the third one, he wants the fourth one.”

Before he added: “He’s adjusting, in my opinion, very well. It gets better and better every single game. He always wants to have the ball, even if he has a few moments where we feel like he could do better.

“He just always wants to keep the ball, always keeps on trying. And he gets better and better, and fitter and fitter. That’s maybe the thing that matters most, because we don’t have to teach him how to play football. He just has to adapt to the intensity levels of the Premier League.”

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.