Florian Wirtz is expected to complete a £116million move to Liverpool in the coming days, and the German has worked tirelessly to refine certain key aspects of his game
Rising star Florian Wirtz is on the brink of making a mega-money move to Liverpool in what could be the biggest transfer of the summer. The 22-year-old is turning heads across Europe after back-to-back Bundesliga seasons with both goals and assists well into double figures.
Bayer Leverkusen‘s midfield maestro caught the eye of Liverpool scouts and now looks primed for a £116million switch to the Premier League champion. But they’re not the only ones who have stood up and taken notice.
St. Pauli skipper Jackson Irvine, for example, couldn’t help but marvel at his prowess. Following a 2-1 defeat to Leverkusen back in December, where Wirtz opened the scoring, Irvine praised the youngster’s knack for carving out opportunities and getting a sight at goal.
“He’s so good at finding space between the lines and his end product is just fantastic,” said the Australian in an interview with The Athletic (via the Liverpool Echo). “But he’s got this action where he shifts and shoots almost in motion.
“He just takes a touch across a defender, whether it’s a nutmeg or whatever, and he just seems to be able to just drift across you, even when you think you’ve got him going in the other direction.”
Former prodigy Wirtz is expected to travel to England for a medical in Liverpool this week. And his anticipated record-breaking move is no stroke of luck but rather the result of his deliberate honing of skills integral to his success.
Wirtz himself previously confessed he consciously worked on fine-tuning parts of his game that are now hallmarks of his game. Speaking with SZ this season, he said: “That was the first thing I noticed with the pros back then is that if I didn’t take the ball quickly enough to one side when receiving it, an opponent would take it away.
“The experienced players in Leverkusen, particularly Kerem Demirbay, gave me the tip that I really needed to be gone with the first touch. That was something I really tried to improve in training.”
That graft on the training field is paying dividends as he gears up to potentially become the Premier League’s priciest import. Liverpool are seemingly willing to fork out more than the £115m Chelsea could end up paying for Moises Caicedo, the current British transfer record.
But it’s not just his talent with the ball that’s caught the eye. An anonymous Premier League scout also shone a light on Wirtz’s mental growth as well after struggling with his temperament at times earlier in his career.
“When players used to kick him and foul him, he could handle it, but it would break his focus,” they told The Athletic. “He’d sometimes target that player with his ability.
“[It was] like he was trying to make a point. But he doesn’t do that as much anymore. You can’t knock him out of his rhythm as easily. He doesn’t lose his calm.”
This newfound composure will be crucial against the notoriously tough defenders found in the Premier League. Wirtz has bulked up since his earlier days and is ready to face the intense scrutiny that comes with playing in England.
He’s no stranger to this kind of pressure, however. And having already honed his skills to cope with top-tier football, Wirtz is showing all the signs he’ll rise to the occasion once again at Anfield.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
