“You can stop” – Jurgen Klopp comes to the defence of underperforming Liverpool star

Former manager Jurgen Klopp backs Florian Wirtz to come good for Liverpool

Liverpool had a blockbuster summer transfer window that saw some unprecedented spending from the Merseyside club. Having hardly made moves in Arne Slot’s first season, the Reds backed him massively, bringing in the likes of Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike.

Having lifted the Premier League last season, it was clear the Reds wanted to kick on and take their project to the next level. They wanted a squad capable of competing on all fronts and not succumbing in the Champions League knockouts as they did last time around.

With the exception of Ekitike, the other summer signings have struggled to get going so far. Isak is slightly off the pace, having joined Liverpool without a pre-season, while Florian Wirtz has left a lot to be desired.

The German has not been bad, and his performances have been decent. However, he has been unable to register goals and assists at the rate he managed at Leverkusen, and he still seems to be finding his feet in the Premier League.

Now, former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has thrown his weight behind the struggling German playmaker. Speaking at an RTL and n-tv padel tournament in Mallorca, via GOAL (h/t Caught Offside), he said:

“I don’t worry about Florian Wirtz because his quality is so outstanding. Of course, everything is fine, and everyone knows that. The discussion is being blown out of proportion.”

“He’s a once-in-a-century talent, and at some point he’ll show that in every game again, as he did at Leverkusen. He has a stable environment at Liverpool and the club is great in moments like these. If anyone’s worried – you don’t have to! You can stop!”

There is absolutely no doubt that Wirtz is a generational talent. He oozes class whenever he plays for Germany and has shown flashes of the same in a Reds jersey. It is only a matter of time before the results start coming.

Wirtz – More than meets the eye

Even so, using just goals or assists to define a player’s worth is a very shallow way of looking at the game. There is so much more than meets the eye, and Arne Slot will know exactly what the 22-year-old adds to his team.

Adaptation to England is not always easy for a player arriving from a different league. This, added to the price tag Wirtz carries, puts a lot of pressure on him, especially with so many eyes on him.

It is not the German playmaker’s fault that Liverpool paid what they did to sign him. Wirtz is too prolific a talent not to come good, and Reds fans will be back to collect their receipts when it happens.