Liverpool fans shouldn't worry about Florian Wirtz as key Premier League stats show his star quality - opinion
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Florian Wirtz has not had the most outstanding start for Liverpool, but fans should not worry about his quality.
The German joined the Reds this summer for a fee just over £100 million after playing for Bayer Leverkusen’s invincible team under former club icon Xabi Alonso.
He was a part of a summer that saw the Merseyside club bring in Europe’s best talents, including Leverkusen teammate Jeremie Frimpong, Hugo Ekitike, and Alexander Isak.
Photo by Alex Livesey – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
But since his Premier League arrival, he has not had the desired impact in terms of output that a player of his star potential would be expected to have when entering such a strong side.
In his first three games, he has been unable to score or assist any of his teammates, which he was able to do easily at his former club.
Ekitike has made a promise about Wirtz to Liverpool fans that he will show how good a player he is very soon after competing against him when he was at Eintracht Frankfurt.
But there is no need to worry anyway for supporters when you look into what he has been doing when he has the ball in games.
So far, the No.
7 has made the most shot-creating chances and the second-highest number of key passes in the squad.
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He even ranks second in most progressive passes.
This creativity shows he is moving the team forward, even if he is not directly benefiting from an output perspective.
But it is not just his creativity going forward that will impress fans; he has won six tackles, which is the second highest in the squad, showing that he is working hard in his area of the pitch to keep the ball and prevent attacks.
These are things that are hard to pick up on with the eye alone, but what it does present is how he may be misrepresented just because of the high price tag attached to him.
His performances for Germany over the international break, netting a free-kick in a victory over Northern Ireland, will boost his confidence heading back into the next part of the early season.
What could definitely help his chances of finding a goal or an assist would be if he pushes slightly higher in his midfield role to get a bit closer and link up with attackers like Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah or Ekitike.
Especially the Frenchman, who can play much more directly, and with the 22-year-old midfielder enjoying playing through the defensive lines, it could really boost their already high output in front of goal.
It was proven when he assisted the Frenchman during the Community Shield, where he was much further up the field.
More engagement with Gakpo down the left-hand side would also be a great outlet for assists, considering how much of a consistent finisher the Dutchman is.