Wirtz’s slow start at Liverpool defended by Klopp, Nagelsmann

Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann and former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp both defended Florian Wirtz’s underwhelming start to Premier League life.

Wirtz joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen in a then-club record £116 million ($154m) deal in the summer.

Since moving to Anfield, Wirtz has struggled to command games in the same way he did at Leverkusen, where he starred during an unbeaten Bundesliga-winning season under Xabi Alonso.

The German midfielder was dropped to the bench by Arne Slot for Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea before the international break.

Despite his difficult start to life at Anfield, Wirtz has remained a mainstay in Nagelsmann’s Germany squad and scored a stunning free-kick in the win over Northern Ireland in September, as well as full 90 minutes in the 4-0 win over Luxembourg.

Nagelsmann told Sport 1: “Even though he hasn’t scored any goals, he is still the player who creates the most chances in the Premier League.

“It’s not his fault if his team-mates don’t convert them, and the statistics don’t even tell the whole story.

“Wirtz needs to get used to the league. I saw him playing with total freedom. He knows what he’s capable of and how things work.

“He hasn’t always had it easy — he’ll have to work hard now too.”

– Nagelsmann: No intention to disrespect Northern Ireland- Report: Germany get qualifying campaign back on track with 4-0 win- World Cup qualifying Group A table

Klopp, who managed Liverpool between 2015 and 2024, also leapt to Wirtz’s defence.

Liverpool headed into the international break off the back of three consecutive defeats — to Crystal Palace and Chelsea in the Premier League and to Galatasaray in the Champions League.

Klopp believes it is those defeats that have amplified the scrutiny on Wirtz and that everything will work out in the end.

He told n-tv: “His quality is so outstanding, the discussions are a bit exaggerated.

“Liverpool just lost three games in a row, which is unusual.

“But that’s also normal in life and that’s why such things are discussed there.

“[Wirtz is] a once-in-a-century talent, and at some point he’ll show that in every game again — just as he did at Leverkusen.”

Liverpool resume Premier League action against Manchester United on Sunday afternoon, in a game Wirtz will be desperate to prove Nagelsmann and Klopp right and light up the Premier League stage.