Liverpool boss defends Florian Wirtz after Arsene Wenger criticism | OneFootball

Liverpool signed Florian Wirtz for big money this summer, but the £116 million addition has failed to make an impact at the Merseyside club.

The Liverpool attacking midfielder has managed only three assists in 15 appearances so far, and there are concerns that he does not fit in.

Some, like former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, have even gone so far as to claim that Wirtz ‘destroyed’ the Liverpool midfield balance.

However, Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has defended the 22-year-old and looked slightly prickly while navigating the remark.

Slot said (via the Daily Mail), “Everyone has a right to his own opinion, and many of them have. That is the nice thing about football, that everyone has his opinion about it.”

“If I need open-heart surgery, I am not going to tell the surgeon what he needs to do, but about football, everyone is telling you what the best thing is to do,” he continued.

“But that is also the nice thing about football, because everyone knows it, so we can talk about it.”

Slot also promised that despite playing off the left in recent games, Wirtz will succeed in midfield for Liverpool.

For now, though, Slot would be wise to keep Wirtz, who reportedly earns £250k per week, operating from the wing.

The German looks more comfortable drifting into pockets of space rather than being the fulcrum of play, and that role allows Liverpool’s midfield to retain its structure.

The Reds have finally snapped their ugly losing run with Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Ryan Gravenberch anchoring the engine room.

This trio offers balance, energy, and control. Disrupting that set-up too soon could undo recent progress.

As Liverpool prepare to face Manchester City this weekend, maintaining that formula while allowing Wirtz to rediscover his rhythm out wide might be the best way to bring out the best in the player and the team.