Germany boss Jürgen Klopp tried to take some heat off the under-performing Florian Wirtz, reminding everyone of the “absolutely unfavorable” conditions surrounding the star’s time at Liverpool so far.
Expectations were otherworldly for Wirtz when he made Anfield his new home ahead of the 2025–26 season. The former Bayer Leverkusen standout joined Liverpool for a then-club record fee of £116 million ($154 million), viewed as a devastating new addition to the defending English champions.
What soon unfolded was a debut campaign to forget, full of incessant criticism that continues to loom over the Germany international in 2026–27. Wirtz has scored just seven goals for the Reds, a tally he has yet to add to in his sophomore campaign.
Klopp, who aims to get the best out of the No. 10 for Die Mannschaft, was quick to contextualize Wirtz’s early struggles on Merseyside.
“When you look at the full context, you will find that Florian joined Liverpool at an absolutely unfavorable time related to the death of Diogo Jota,” Klopp said on Saturday. “He joined a team whose players’ priority at that time was not football, which is very understandable.”
Klopp’s comments echo those of Andy Robertson, who recently spoke on the heartbreaking reality of playing the 2026–27 season just weeks after Jota and his brother André Silva tragically passed away in a car accident.
“If I’m talking about the new signings, they’re coming into a club that is heartbroken, and they’re trying,” Robertson said on the Stick to Football podcast. “That’s when I felt so sorry for these guys because they had signed, and they were signing for big money. If I’m talking about football, when it took them months to settle in, because we were like ghosts.”
Liverpool went on to finish fifth in the Premier League, needing until the final match of the season to qualify for the Champions League. The club won zero trophies and eventually cut ties with former boss Arne Slot, who spent £446 million ($590.7 million) to sign Wirtz and six other new players last summer.
The Adversity Continues for Wirtz
Wirtz eventually settled in at Anfield last season, recording 10 goal contributions once the calendar flipped to 2026. It was hardly the production fans wanted from such a blockbuster signing, but it was hopeful progress nonetheless.
But then Andoni Iraola replaced Slot in the dugout, bringing new tactics and new faces to an already inconsistent Liverpool side. Klopp, though, can see Wirtz improving under the new boss, even if the shift momentarily disrupted the 23-year-old.
“[Wirtz] learned a lot from his first year. Now there is a new season under the leadership of a new coach,” Klopp said. “He is delivering a very good level physically, and the team has begun to regain its cohesion once again.”
Klopp, who managed Liverpool for nine years before he stepped away in 2024, is perhaps a little more positive than many others watching the Reds. After all, Wirtz has just one assist and zero goals in six appearances this season.
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher had some harsh words for Wirtz following the team’s 1–0 win over Bournemouth: “The reason I worry is, I don’t think Wirtz is in poor form since he came to Liverpool. I actually think what we’re seeing is what he is.”
Liverpool Fans Hoping Klopp Can Work His Magic
The international break came at the perfect time for Wirtz. He gets a break from the domestic scrutiny to escape to his homeland, where he is learning under one of the best managers in the sport.
Wirtz was included in the second of Klopp’s Germany squads, in line to take on Serbia and Greece while the first group of players faced off with the Netherlands and Greece. The 23-year-old joined up earlier than anticipated after injuries to Jamal Musiala and Kai Havertz, though, and played 25 minutes in the team’s disappointing 1–0 loss to Greece on Sunday.
The No. 10 did not create a single chance in a game Germany desperately needed a goal, and took just one shot, which was not even on target.
It was the exact opposite performance Liverpool fans wanted to see from Wirtz, but Klopp still has two more weeks to work his magic with the young talent.
Unfortunately for the Reds, the manager will have to focus on getting his new team to three points rather than spend all his time shaping Wirtz.
