Germany Legend Explains Why Florian Wirtz Could Shine at Liverpool | OneFootball

Florian Wirtz to Liverpool is one of the most talked about and shocking potential moves of the summer. Long talked about as an eventual signing for Bayern Munich, or even Manchester City, Wirtz’s linking to Liverpool took fans across the world by surprise. If it comes to fruition, Germany legend Philipp Lahm has no reservations about him succeeding under Arne Slot.

Lahm highlighted in a personal piece written for The Athletic why the signing would be ideal for both parties. “The system of play there has pace, vertical direction and a clear allocation of roles within the team that should suit him well,“ Lahm wrote.

Comparing Wirtz to Jamal Musiala, another young German superstar, “Wirtz doesn't just want to be involved in the attacking play, he wants to be the decisive part of it. He is more straightforward and clear-minded. He waits, he picks his moments, and can alter the speed of a game with one touch or pass.“

Wirtz primarily plays as an attacking midfielder for both his national team and Bayer Leverkusen. He also has the ability to play as a centre forward or as a second striker in certain systems. If he does move to Liverpool, Arne Slot could deploy him in the 10 similar to how Dominik Szoboszlai is used. He could also lead the line in lieu of Luis Díaz, Darwin Núñez or Cody Gakpo, or play just behind them in another variation.

Lahm does highlight Wirtz's need to improve physically. A common narrative for any European player moving to the Premier League is the need to adapt to the physicality of the league. The pace is more frenetic, two actions and a player could be behind threatening your goal.

Lahm reminded fans of how much he struggled against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League this past season and in last year’s Europa League final against Atalanta. If he doesn’t improve, the pace of the league could affect his first season in England.

Wirtz struggled against Portugal this week in the UEFA Nations League semifinals despite scoring the opening goal in the second half. He struggled to get any rhythm going against a high-intensity side. Once Roberto Martinez brought on Vitinha, Nélson Semedo and Francisco Conceição, the script was flipped as Cristiano Ronaldo fired his country into the final.

If Wirtz does play as a 10, he'll have blistering pace and technical quality around him. Mohamed Salah, coming off a historic season, will be given more space to operate on the right with Wirtz patrolling in and around the box. The German would also have the comfort of playing with Jeremie Frimpong who signed for Liverpool earlier this summer. The former Leverkusen defender replaced Trent Alexander-Arnold following his move to Real Madrid.