Wayne Rooney sends Arne Slot message over new Liverpool star – ‘Damaging the balance’

Wayne Rooney struggles to see where Florian Wirtz fits into Arne Slot’s Liverpool team, despite the Dutchman coughing up an at-the-time record £116million to secure him from Bayer Leverkusen this summer

Wayne Rooney has claimed that Florian Wirtz is “damaging the balance” of Liverpool at present. The attacking-midfielder was snapped up by the Reds this summer in a groundbreaking £116million deal with Bayer Leverkusen after impressing for club and country.

However, the 22-year-old has failed to impress on English soil thus far, raising questions about his suitability for the Premier League. With 10 goals and 13 assists to his name for Die Werkself last term, coupled with his at-the-time club-record price tag, expectations were high for Wirtz as he arrived at Anfield.

But with six league appearances to his name this season and no return in terms of goals or assists, football fans worldwide have began to wonder whether the talent will turn out as a tremendous waste of money. As for Rooney, the Manchester United legend believes that he will come good in time, although he may be throwing a spanner in the works in Arne Slot’s set-up at present.

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Speaking on his Wayne Rooney Show on YouTube, the player-turned-pundit said: “It’s been tough for him. I don’t think there’s any denying that and he’ll be searching deep within himself to fix that and trying to figure it out.

“I think he’s played okay and better, but I think when you sign so many players like Liverpool have – and this is not normal for Liverpool. Liverpool don’t normally do this, and they’ve signed a whole new front line and then you’ve got Mo Salah there as well.

“So they’re all competing, they all want to do well, they’re all fighting against each other to get in the team and I think Wirtz is the one who’s probably not doing as well. He’s got so much ability and for me, I don’t see where he gets in the team.

“I think it was a lot of money, I would have went for [Hugo] Ekitike and [Alexander] Isak. I think Wirtz actually damages the balance of Liverpool, how they play.

“But he’s a top player, I’m sure he will get better, of course he will. But he’s had a slow start and there’s no denying it.”

Liverpool spent in style this summer to give themselves the best chance to retain their Premier League title this season, welcoming Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt in a £79m move and Alexander Isak for a British record fee of £125m. However, Slot now has a headache in terms of team selection as a result, especially considering how Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah have thrived as of recent.

The Reds currently sit top of the Premier League table, two points clear of Arsenal, but their season thus far hasn’t been completely plain sailing. Liverpool have looked cagey in terms of defence after the new arrivals of Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, conceding seven goals overall.

Meanwhile, Slot was handed the first stumbling block of his season thus far on Saturday when Crystal Palace secured a 2-1 win at Selhurst Park. Ismaila Sarr opened the scoring for the Eagles early doors during the clash, before Federico Chiesa equalised on the 87th minute.

And while late goals have saved the champions’ skin on so many occasions this season already, it was Palace who snagged the winner deep into stoppage time, with Eddie Nketiah finding the back of the net in 90+7′ to seal the deal. Liverpool now face Galatasaray on Tuesday evening in the Champions League, before they return to Premier League action on Saturday to take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

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