(Credit: Imago)

Jack Heath

Fri 15 August 2025 18:25, UK

Florian Wirtz could be about to fall from great heights as data shows concerning comparisons to ex-Bayer Leverkusen Premier League flop Kai Havertz.

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After Wirtz joined Liverpool for a club-record fee of £116million (Sky Sports), the German has been majorly hyped up to hit the ground running at Anfield.

The 22-year-old had been of significant interest for Man City, but the number seven opted to join the Premier League champions after a sumptuous 2024-25 campaign.

The Bayer Leverkusen graduate is not alone, as marauding right-back Jeremie Frimpong also joined Liverpool following the exit of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid

The Leverkusen academy graduate cost the Reds a fortune (Credit: Hasan Karim, Breaking Media)

Ahead of his debut season in the English top-flight, the attacking-midfielder will surely be aware of the pressure that comes from putting on a Liverpool shirt, yet there is another factor that will play on his mind.

Coming from Leverkusen, the path has been trodden before with limited success, including that of Havertz who has endured average campaigns with both Arsenal and Chelsea.

Once tipped as the next best thing with a huge price tag, the Gunner struggled to fully adapt to life in the Premier League, something that could potentially happen to his compatriot.

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The Dutchman should be aware of what happened when Havertz came over to England from Leverkusen (Credit: Imago)

Before analysing the data from FBRef, the parameters for these comparisons will be done by using Wirtz’s numbers from the Bundesliga 2024-25 and Havertz’s figures from the 2019-20 season which sealed his transfer to Chelsea.

From the get-go, I’m stunned by how similar both of the players are going forward with the Arsenal man averaging 0.44 goals per-90 versus the Reds bank-breaker’s 0.38.

Conversely, the latter was much more of a creator, averaging 0.46 assist per-90 compared to Havertz’s 0.22.

The 22-year-old only bagged four more goal involvements than his compatriot last year, despite Wirtz’s performances supposedly adding £45m to his price tag than the ex-Chelsea man’s £71.3m (Sofascore).

Florian Wirtz (2024-25)Kai Havertz (2019-20)Appearances (starts)31 (25)30 (29)Minutes played2,3512,454Goals1012Assists126Bayer Leverkusen Bundesliga seasons 2024-25, 2019-20 (Source: FBRef)

Moreover, Arne Slot’s new midfield maestro was more wasteful with the ball than Mikel Arteta’s make shift forward, completing 78.3% of his passes compared to Havertz’s 84.2%.

Dillydallying on the ball in the Premier League can lead to falling out-of-favour with the fans in a frenetic league much more difficult than the German top-flight.

Whilst the number seven’s numbers are generally better than his compatriot’s were in his final season with Leverkusen, I’m worried that the former’s lack of physicality will work against him in a powerful league where every team is hungry for the ball.

Havertz did adapt to the English top-flight’s physicality, an aspect he carried over from his final year in Germany where he won 42.2% of aerial duels whereas Wirtz struggled, only winning 20%.

Creatively he shone but physically he struggled in the test before the season begun

After playing in the Community Shield loss to Crystal Palace, the attacking-midfielder looked lost at times as he was overpowered by the high-intensity of the match.

Superb in terms of creativity, his poor physicality could be the undermining of him and, if the German doesn’t work on that factor, he could be about to follow Havertz down a similar path of low confidence and inconsistency.

Against Bournemouth on the league opener, Wirtz must rise to the occasion and dominate in the attacking-third, relying on his two defensive-midfielders to do the dirty work for him in order to focus on being the creator.

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I wonder if Slot has considered the struggles of a similar profile in the ex-Chelsea man, who has flattered to deceive since he arrived to the Premier League and how expectations may need to be lowered in the first season.

If the Germany international fails to perform well in his debut season, the Anfield faithful could quickly turn on him, compounded by the fact he cost them a monumental amount of money.

No matter how hard he tries, Wirtz will know about the fate of his Leverkusen predecessor, ensuring not to fall at the first hurdle against the Cherries.

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