Florian Wirtz RESPONDS to criticism following forward's £116m move | OneFootball

Florian Wirtz briefly became the most expensive player in British football history last summer.

He joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for a fee that could reach £116m. The landmark transfer was expertly overseen by sporting director Richard Hughes - who secured the 22-year-old to a lucrative five-year contract.

Won over by the promises of head coach Arne Slot, Wirtz selected Anfield ahead of other transfer options including Real Madrid and Manchester City.

The new-look Liverpool attack, remodelled after the 2024/25 Premier League title win, would boast the Germany international as its centrepiece.

Wirtz still struggling for LFC breakthrough

Only it’s not worked out that way as yet.

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Wirtz is already through 11 Premier League games for the Reds - and has yet to provide a goal or an assist. Slot has even seen fit to not only field Wirtz from different positions other than No10 - but has also on occasion dropped the Leverkusen legend to the bench.

New to the league and to the country, Wirtz has attracted lots of criticism in recent weeks. The likes of Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville have put the boot in of late - as Wirtz suffers in a Liverpool team short of results.

And now an insightful article from BILD in Germany has revealed Wirtz’s state of mind as he gets to grips with the barbs coming his way.

Wirtz 'not bothered' by criticism

“He's not particularly bothered by these comments,” the report reads.

“And they usually come from a certain quarter. Rooney, Ferdinand, Neville – they're all former players of arch-rivals Manchester United.”

Wirtz has provided two assists to this point in the Champions League - and he is also carving out a fair number of chances for his teammates.

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Wirtz WILL come good

The attacker has been defended staunchly by Germany national team boss Julian Nagelsmann this week - who instead pinned the blame on Liverpool’s misfiring strikers.

It’s only a matter of time before it all comes together for Wirtz - but he is far from the only issue at the club right now.

Arne Slot has a job on his hands to realign the club’s title defence and in time Wirtz will no doubt prove to be help and not a hindrance to those efforts.

He is clearly still believing in himself that things will come good - and Liverpool fans therefore have strong incentives to remain optimistic.