Gary Neville has slammed Florian Wirtz for a lackluster showing at Liverpool, branding the German playmaker a major concern.
Wirtz, 22, endured another underwhelming display for the Reds on Sunday, when they were beaten 3-0 by Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
The 22-year-old joined the Premier League champions in a £116 million deal from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer, but has struggled for form since his arrival.
The German star is yet to provide a goal contributions in 11 appearances in the English Premier League this season, with just two assists from 15 appearances in all competitions.
Speaking after the game, Neville who works as a pundit for Sky Sports believes the addition of Wirtz has become a major problem for Liverpool.
“Wirtz is a problem”, Neville admitted.
“Let’s just call it as it is. It’s an issue. He’s £100m+, and to be fair, I said a few weeks ago [Milos] Kerkez looked like a little boy out there. Today I thought Wirtz looked like a little boy. That can’t be the case.
We’ve been tiptoeing around him for a few months, around the fact that he’s young, he’s coming to a new country, but he’s £100m+, you’re going to have to stand up soon.”
Liverpool suffered another defeat as their title defense continues to take a downward trajectory.
Erling Haaland, Nico Gonzalez and player of the match Jeremy Doku were on the scoresheet as the Cityzens claimed a convincing victory.
“He’s obviously got something, he’s a really good player, he’s technically fantastic, but he’s been mauled out there today by Matheus Nunes and by others”, Neville continued.
“He’s been chucked around the pitch, and didn’t deliver on the quality side of things as well, so his performance was a real worry.”
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
