Florian Wirtz’s difficult start at Liverpool has brought a particularly sharp assessment from Jamie Carragher, who believes the £100 million signing should presently be left out of the side.
A costly arrival under scrutiny
Wirtz came to Anfield carrying the reputation of one of Europe’s outstanding attacking midfielders after his impressive spell with Bayer Leverkusen. Liverpool won a contest for his signature involving several leading clubs, agreeing a deal worth £100 million up front with a further £16.5 million in add-ons.
Should those clauses be met, the package would reach £116.5 million, placing Wirtz third among the Premier League’s most expensive transfers, behind Morgan Rogers and Alexander Isak. That price tag has inevitably sharpened attention on a player yet to find his proper footing in English football.
- Liverpool paid an initial £100 million for Wirtz.
- A further £16.5 million could be added to the deal.
- The potential £116.5 million total ranks him third in the Premier League’s transfer-cost list, behind Rogers and Isak.
Bournemouth defeat prompts Carragher verdict
The latest concerns followed Liverpool’s defeat to Bournemouth, settled by an Isak goal. Wirtz was taken off during the second half after another display which failed to match the expectations around his arrival.
Carragher, speaking on his podcast after the match, described it as among the poorest performances he had seen from the German while in Liverpool colours. More troublingly, the former Liverpool defender said he did not view the display as merely a temporary dip.
“The concern for me is that I don’t think Wirtz has simply been out of form since joining Liverpool,” Carragher said. “I think this may be his actual level.”
Missing the Leverkusen influence
Carragher accepted that Wirtz still possesses qualities which made him such an admired player in Germany. He pointed to his composure, neat use of possession and ability to escape awkward situations where others might lose the ball.
Yet Carragher’s argument was that those attributes are not presently translating into threat or decisive influence. “I can’t see how he is going to hurt opponents,” he said.
His conclusion was a blunt one for a player signed as a centrepiece of Liverpool’s plans. Carragher said Iraola must make a call and added that, on current form, Wirtz would not be in his Liverpool team.
