Former Premier League winner Robert Huth believes Florian Wirtz is destined for failure at Liverpool, saying the German midfielder has not adapted to English football since his move from Bayer Leverkusen.
Wirtz's Liverpool struggles
Wirtz arrived at Anfield in June 2025 with high expectations after playing a key role in Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen side that won the Bundesliga unbeaten in 2024, registering 18 goals and 19 assists in all competitions.
In 197 appearances for Leverkusen, he scored 57 goals and added 65 assists, winning the Bundesliga Player of the Season award two seasons ago and being named German Male Footballer of the Year last year.
Liverpool paid an initial £100m, rising to £116m in add-ons — a club record for 73 days before Alexander Isak was secured for £125m. In his debut season under Arne Slot, Wirtz managed just seven goals and eight assists in 49 appearances.
Huth's verdict
Speaking on All Out Football's In The Mixer, Huth said: "I really struggle to see how it's going to turn around. I think he's obviously a good player, nice touches, but his physicality is where he is really struggling. Especially in that position (No. 10), where sometimes you need to push the ball, get your body across, maybe draw a foul. I've not seen any of that at all."
Huth added: "The good games that he has had were more about other players setting him up and maybe he had created a few opportunities for himself as well, but I think where he is playing now, you need to be a bit more physical."
Advice and warning
Huth advised Wirtz to "be horrible on the pitch" and become a nuisance for 90 minutes, but he doubts the midfielder will improve. He said: "I think by Christmas, they will probably be looking to offload him if he doesn't improve because he has become an expensive problem for Liverpool. They dropped a lot of cash on him."
