Arne Slot says there are early signs Florian Wirtz can be compared to the best Premier League midfielder ever
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Florian Wirtz certainly has the pressure of living up to some of the all-time Premier League greats after being signed for £116m.After romping to the title last season, the Reds were expected to win it again with relative ease, especially after the signings they made over the summer. Their form at the start of the season has suggested it will be much harder than many thought, though, particularly as the majority of their stars are yet to get going.Join our newsletter for news & smart analysis.
One of these is Wirtz as he is yet to register a goal or an assist, with many questions being raised about how good he actually is.Arne Slot remains confident in his ability, however, and has backed him to succeed, with the Dutchman even comparing him to Kevin De Bruyne and how his Premier League career began.Photo by BURAK BASTURK/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty ImagesKevin De Bruyne struggled when he first came to the Premier LeagueIf fans are asked to name some of the greatest midfielders to ever grace the Premier League, De Bruyne will certainly be thrown into the mix.The Belgian was one of the most influential players for Man City during their period of dominance, with the now-34-year-old dictating everything they did from the number 10 position. However, when he first came to England in 2012 after signing for Chelsea, he had nowhere near the same level of success and struggled massively to make a difference.This is something Slot referenced when discussing Wirtz, believing that even the best players need time to adapt when they are young.“If you have been brought in for that amount of money, people will look at goals and assists.
But let me tell you, he could have been on six or seven already if you look at the passes he has played,” he said on Sky Sports.In general, I think for a 22-year-old, it is quite normal for them to take time to adapt when coming to a new country, let alone when you come to the Premier League.READ MORE: Wayne Rooney explains why Liverpool are under more pressure ahead of crucial Man United fixture“Maybe I am underestimating other players but maybe the best midfielder to ever play in the Premier League, I think is Kevin De Bruyne, and as we all know he was about 21 or 22 when he first came to Chelsea.“So give him [Wirtz] a bit of time, I’m going to give him a bit of time and I just think he has been unlucky.”Florian Wirtz can be Liverpool’s Kevin De BruyneOne thing that set Man City apart from Liverpool during the period when they were both fighting intensely for the title is that they had a player like De Bruyne.The Reds did not quite have someone who could create a raft of chances from the middle of the park or dictate proceedings, whereas the Belgian did this all the time.However, Wirtz has a very similar skill set to De Bruyne and he really could be their version of the Man City legend, especially as neither of them rely on pace.The German is also capable of pulling off some outrageous passes like De Bruyne used to do, and still does at Napoli, he just needs a little bit of time to settle in.The similarities are definitely there, but whether he can execute it is another thing, although he has all the ability in the world to do just that.