Premier League: The curious case of Florian Wirtz

Home › SPORTS › Premier League: The curious case of Florian Wirtz SPORTS Early doubts persist, but Liverpool's record signing still shows the qualities to become the team's defining playmaker Liverpool's Florian Wirtz in action. REUTERS It is a familiar story.

A player who proves invincible in the Bundesliga arrives in the Premier League and looks distinctively average. Sancho was touted as the next English wonderkid at Dortmund.

Werner was a goal machine at RB Leipzig. Gittens barely gets a run out.

And then there is Wirtz, arriving for a record breaking fee - but the broken record just keeps repeating the same old disappointment. But there is a beautiful rhythm to his game, a flow with the ball at his feet that is rare.

He can do things others simply cannot. And I am on record: I think he is going to be a big hit.

I will accept that the evidence in support of this claim has been limited. But sometimes you only need a handful of actions to understand the ceiling of a player.

Wirtz joined a team still navigating the long shadow of Klopp, transitioning from an era of European and domestic glory into something new and uncertain. We saw Salah, Liverpool's sharpest shooter, turn to a blunt butter knife.

We saw Slot get chased out of Anfield by the ghost of Klopp as the Kop were unconvinced despite his early success. But Liverpool fans have an enviable patience, and the right man has now arrived to unlock what this squad can become.

His record at Bournemouth is littered with players who improved significantly under his watch. Huijsen, Solanke, Senesi, Kroupi and Alex Scott all either fulfilled their potential or announced themselves to the world under his guidance.