Arsene Wenger claims Liverpool ‘destroyed’ their midfield after £116m Florian Wirtz signing
Liverpool splashed the cash over the summer, but former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has claimed their pursuit of Florian Wirtz has ‘destroyed’ their midfield
Arsene Wenger has suggested that Liverpool “wrecked their midfield” by assigning Florian Wirtz the No.10 role, a position in which the German player has struggled since his record-breaking move to the UK.
Liverpool splashed out a whopping £116million to secure the services of the highly-rated playmaker from Bayer Leverkusen. This was the highest fee ever paid by a British club until Liverpool broke their own record weeks later with the signing of Alexander Isak.
Despite Wirtz’s glowing reputation, he has failed to make an impact so far. The 22-year-old, who has been given the responsibility of being the team’s main playmaker, has yet to score or assist in his first 10 Premier League appearances.
During Liverpool’s recent slump, Arne Slot has faced criticism for disrupting the team’s balance with his summer signings.
Wirtz was eventually played in a wider role as Liverpool triumphed over Real Madrid on Tuesday night. However, Wenger believes that Liverpool made a mistake by promising him the No 10 role, which has ultimately upset the balance of their midfield.
Speaking to beIN SPORTS before the match against Real Madrid, Wenger said: “Liverpool is an interesting example. When Wirtz had the choice between going to Bayern Munich or Liverpool, he said to Liverpool: ‘I come to you if I play No 10. I do not want to play wide’.
“Liverpool, to get him, they say okay. They started him and they destroyed their midfield – which was (Ryan) Gravenberch, (Alexis) Mac Allister, (Dominik) Szoboszlai.
“To play Wirtz, they took Szoboszlai out. What have they done against Aston Villa? They have gone back to their midfield of last year. And tonight, they play Wirtz – but I’m sure that Wirtz will play on the side.
“The manager has said: ‘If you want to play again, you will have to play wide because I do not want to disturb the midfield.’ That will be interesting to see tonight. Wirtz is back in the team but certainly will have to play left where he was when he played at Leverkusen.”
To accommodate Wirtz in the starting eleven, Szoboszlai has been forced to move out to right-back, where he has looked solid, though he remains a temporary solution in that role.
Liverpool have finally managed back-to-back victories for the first time since late September following wins over Real and Aston Villa.
