Jürgen Klopp has described Florian Wirtz as a talent of the century, although his slow start to life at Liverpool has repeatedly come under criticism.
The former Reds boss admits his old club are in unusually poor shape but insists he has no doubts about their £116.5million star.
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Wirtz has been under scrutiny since he arrived at Anfield in June for a then-British record transfer fee.
Before Liverpool signed Alexander Isak for £125m on deadline day, Wirtz was the face of the club’s eventual £446m summer donation.
Two months into the season, the former Bayer Leverkusen star was criticized for being forced into the Liverpool team.
The German hasn’t scored a goal or provided an assist in any of his Premier League or Champions League appearances, reflecting a rather dismal run of form.
Read more about Florian Wirtz
The 22-year-old was harshly labeled “the worst Premier League signing of all time” by fans while receiving much online ridicule.
Bayern boss Karl-Heinz Rummenigge even claimed that Wirtz would have been “better off” joining the club than Liverpool.
Jürgen Klopp defends Florian Wirtz
Klopp has dismissed concerns about Wirtz’s form and insisted criticism of his compatriot was overblown.
“I don’t have to worry about Florian Wirtz because his quality is so outstanding,” Klopp told RTL and n-tv.
“Of course everything is fine, and everyone knows that. The discussion [around him] is certainly disproportionate.
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Wirtz is a talent of the century
Klopp added: “Liverpool have just lost three games in a row – it’s unusual for something like that to happen after such a long time. But it’s also normal in life.”
“That’s why these things are being discussed. I’ve been in the middle of these discussions long enough now and I can tell you: Nothing could interest people less than the public discussions that are taking place there. So it doesn’t matter and everything will be fine.”
Klopp further urged fans not to worry about “a talent of the century” who “will show that again in every game, just like he did in Leverkusen.”
Wirtz has “a stable environment in Liverpool and the club is great in moments like these,” he added.
Red Bull’s head of global soccer said: “If anyone is worried – there’s no need! You can stop it.”
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Wirtz’s problems didn’t stop the playmaker from playing the full 90 minutes for his country in Germany’s 4-0 win over Luxembourg.
He hit the post from a free-kick but failed to end his wait for a goal contribution and Julian Nagelsmann then launched a strong defense against his star’s efforts.
“Even if he didn’t score, he is the player who creates the most chances in the Premier League,” the German told Sport 1.
“It’s not his fault if his teammate doesn’t make it, and the statistics aren’t even a third of the truth. He just has to get used to the league.”
“I saw how he felt completely liberated. He knows what he’s capable of and how things work. He wasn’t always given credit for everything – he’s going to work hard now too.”