Arne Slot has new Liverpool question to answer with Florian Wirtz plan set to become clear

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Liverpool signed Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak with the post-Mohamed Salah era in mind, but Arne Slot has work to do this summer to get the balance right in his new-look attackLiverpool head coach Arne Slot.(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)Florian Wirtz has to be the No.10 that Liverpool builds its team around when Mohamed Salah moves on, but that means there is a new question for Arne Slot to answer.How can his side look in control and not be so easy to play through in transition while simultaneously having an extra player in attacking areas? With the switch to more of a 4-2-3-1 system than a 4-3-3, the Reds have looked wide open at times in the center of the pitch.Against Crystal Palace, for instance, Adam Wharton — one of the options tipped to become an option for Liverpool to upgrade its midfield through come the summer — was able to drift through and exploit space with ease.READ MORE: Egypt national team chief reveals how long Mohamed Salah will be out forREAD MORE: Liverpool owners FSG brutally fire manager and five coaches at their other underperforming teamConsistently, that has been the case regardless of which two players are deepest in midfield: two of Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Curtis Jones.In the case of Mac Allister, you can make the argument that the Argentine simply isn't as mobile as he once was; that he can't cover the ground as quickly as he might have last year.Getting him back to a normal of energy and physical capacity on a consistent basis or signing someone who is just as technically proficient but perhaps more able to cover ground would be a solution.Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz of Liverpool during the Premier League win against Crystal Palace at Anfield on April 25 2026(Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)That dissipates, though, with Szoboszlai being alongside him.

There are many attributes that have made the Hungarian a leading contender for Liverpool's Player of the Year award, and his strength as a runner is right up there.Neither Gravenberch nor Jones are particularly rapid, but neither is anything close to below average physically, and that would suggest that it is about set-up rather than personnel.With a double pivot, it appears that there is an imbalance that is leaving Liverpool exposed on occasion. And either in the transfer market or on the training field — or, most likely, both — it's something that needs to be resolved ahead of next season.It is perfectly acceptable for Liverpool to head into next season with, say, Gravenberch and Szoboszlai as a midfield two, with Wirtz in front and a couple of pacy wingers behind Alexander Isak.Get LFC's 2025/26 season home and away kitsThis article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it.

Learn moreFrom $100LFC.comSee the dealLiverpool's home and away strips for the 2025/26 season are the first in their new partnership with adidas.Fans can order jerseys in the US at Fanatics.com or via the LFC Online Store in both the US and across the world.There is a legitimate question, though, about whether that is a stable enough system defensively to get back to the levels that Liverpool wants to be at consistently.With flying full-backs and both Gravenberch and Szoboszlai's first thoughts being to drive forward, either with the ball at their feet or via passing, there is little in the way of a defensive instinct.While Crystal Palace was able to get through and on another day could have punished Liverpool, teams with more quality in the final third — or even just a bit more good fortune — will capitalize.Going forward, the Wirtz-centric system will make for a team that is exciting to watch, of course, and it should see the best of $278 million (£241 million) duo of the German and Isak. Getting the balance right, though, is the challenge Arne Slot must solve.