Overview

• Liverpool paid a reported €125m including add-ons for Florian Wirtz, who has started with 10 games, one assist and no goals.
• He played 90 minutes for Germany in a 4-0 victory over Luxembourg, registering five shots, 88% pass completion and four key passes, with one free kick hitting the post.
• Jürgen Klopp publicly urged calm, calling Wirtz an exceptional talent and arguing there is no need for concern over his form.
• Granit Xhaka, Rudi Völler and Philipp Lahm expressed confidence in his quality, even as critics such as Jamie Carragher questioned his early impact at Liverpool.
• Steffen Freund advised that full adaptation to the Premier League can take at least six months and predicted Wirtz could be Liverpool’s best player within about 18 months.