Liverpool star Florian Wirtz has until Christmas to prove his worth – or could apparently be loaned out this January.
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Wirtz became Liverpool's record signing when he joined over the summer from Bayer Leverkusen, before the Reds trumped the transfer by shelling out even more for Alexander Isak mere weeks later to completely reshape their attack.
It was a transfer window of intent on Merseyside that also saw the likes of Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez link up with the Premier League champions – but just four months into the new season, things aren't going to plan for manager Arne Slot, who finds his side in the bottom half of the table.
Liverpool star Florian Wirtz facing banishment over poor form
Wirtz has cut a frustrated figure for Liverpool this season, with the playmaker moving between positions and being benched altogether, as Slot looks to find some kind of rhythm with all his new signings.
The Reds have lost six of their last seven Premier League fixtures and are coming off the back of a humiliating 4-1 home loss to PSV in the Champions League – with Wirtz in particular in the spotlight for his toothless performances this term.
Now, fellow German and former Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann has told Coin Poker that he believes Wirtz has until Christmas to prove himself worthy of a place in Slot's plans – otherwise, he'll be sensationally shipped out in the winter window.
“Florian Wirtz has had chances to perform,” Hamann said. “He's had chances over the last six to eight weeks, where the team hasn't really fired since the start of the season.
“I think he's got until Christmas now to show his worth, which is not easy because, as I said, the team is not functioning at the moment. I think if he doesn't do it from now until Christmas, I'm pretty sure that the club will get together with him and see what the best would be for both parties.
“Could Florian Wirtz still leave Liverpool on loan in January? Yeah. Obviously, with all the help and all the protection from the club and the manager, if you bring somebody in for that amount of money, then maybe he should be the one, even though he's still very young, then maybe you expect him to turn things around.
“I don't think, the way he's playing at the moment, I'm not sure he's capable of doing that. And when I watch him sometimes, you know, thinking, has he lost belief because it is in the Premier League? Sometimes when I watch him when he loses possession, I'm thinking maybe it’s because it’s a lot quicker, a lot more physical, as if he were to say: ‘I'm not sure that's for me.’
“I hope I'm wrong, but this is how it looks to me. Sometimes if it's going on for too long, you know, it's very hard to turn it around.”
FourFourTwo understands that Liverpool have no plans to let Wirtz leave in January under any circumstances, having spent a nine-figure transfer fee to recruit him – but Hamann is right to highlight the bad form. It remains far likelier that Wirtz gets a chance under a new manager – should Slot leave either midseason or at the end of the current campaign – before the Reds even think about parting ways with the star.
Wirtz is worth €130 million, according to Transfermarkt. Liverpool travel away to West Ham United this weekend when Premier League action resumes.
