Jamie Carragher urges Liverpool boss Arne Slot to drop Florian Wirtz

Liverpool summer signing Florian Wirtz has been struggling following his move to the club this summer for £116 million.

The German international midfielder has been unable to justify the significant investment and is a shadow of the player who dominated the Bundesliga.

Wirtz endured another miserable outing as Liverpool lost 1-0 to Galatasaray in the Champions League last night. He barely influenced proceedings and was guilty of ruining too many attacks.

The former Bayer Leverkusen man lost possession 14 times, won only four of 13 duels, and was dribbled past twice. He completed only one of three attempted dribbles.

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher urged manager Arne Slot to drop Wirtz.

Carragher said (via CBS Sports:, “I don’t feel like I’m watching a top team. Liverpool aren’t playing football at the moment, they’re playing basketball, it’s end to end, and I don’t think top teams play like that.

“The obvious problem that stands out is Florian Wirtz. He’s just not at the races at all. He’s a young boy going to a new league, he’s got plenty of time to grow as a Liverpool player.

“However, I think he needs to come out of the team for Liverpool to get back to where they were last season and then go from there to try and build some confidence and defensive stability.”

Carragher’s assessment is hard to dispute. Liverpool’s defence has been the glaring issue this season, but Wirtz has become an equally pressing concern in midfield.

He has looked overwhelmed in the Premier League and Europe, often slowing Liverpool’s tempo rather than dictating it.

For all his potential, he currently looks like the weak link in a side already struggling for balance.

Slot may need to take him out of the firing line, both to stabilise the team and to protect the player’s long-term confidence.

Liverpool can’t afford passengers in this demanding campaign, and Wirtz still has plenty of work to do before he can be trusted to lead their midfield.