Premier League pundit Simon Jordan has described Liverpool midfielder Florian Wirtz as "not fit for purpose" following the German's continued struggles at Anfield.
Wirtz is yet to justify the £116million price-tag that took him to Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen last year. Reds icon Jamie Carragher has even suggested the 23-year-old midfielder, bought for £100m plus £16m in add-ons, should be dropped by manager Andoni Iraola.
Pundits pile pressure on Wirtz
Speaking on talkSPORT, fellow Liverpool alumnus Danny Murphy conceded Wirtz is "struggling" and suggested he lacks the physicality for the Premier League. Murphy added that Wirtz deserves more time to integrate into Iraola's system, but patience is wearing thin on Merseyside.
Responding to Murphy, Jordan said: "You look at it and say, five-year contract depreciating at £20m a year. On their books at £70m now, can they get out of it if they need to?
"Can they get out of it and find a way to get him out of the door if he's not going to fit? I'm not the best person to assess whether a player can change their direction of travel because of their physicality.
"But if all the things Danny suggests are absolutely prevalent to what Iraola's success is going to be, or not, then the player's not going to be fit for purpose, is he?"
Value drops and form dips
Jordan's comments suggest Wirtz's market value has dropped by around £30m since he moved to England. Aside from the monetary sacrifice, selling the No. 10 for such a dramatic loss now would represent a significant mark against Liverpool's recruitment department.
After averaging a goal or assist every 1.61 games for Bayer Leverkusen, that ratio has fallen to a direct goal contribution every three games for the Reds. Wirtz, who earns £200,000 a week at Anfield, has a single assist in six games so far this season.
Financial implications for Liverpool
Despite his struggles in England, Liverpool remain undefeated across all competitions this term to date. Iraola's defence has improved since he arrived at the helm, though three draws from five Premier League outings is not the return the club envisioned.
Given the player's reported wages, finding a suitor right now may prove difficult. Liverpool currently have nine players on their books earning at least £200,000 a week, with Virgil van Dijk topping the list on £350,000 a week.
The club can ill afford to carry any of those players at such massive expense, and there is a growing sentiment in some sectors that Liverpool may be better off cutting their losses sooner rather than later.
