Jamie Carragher warns Florian Wirtz faces make-or-break Liverpool season
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has raised serious doubts over whether £115m signing Florian Wirtz can overcome the physical demands of the Premier League.
The German international endured a difficult debut campaign at Anfield last term, as the club’s title defence crumbled and they limped to a fifth-placed finish.
With new manager Andoni Iraola now at the helm following Arne Slot’s departure, pressure is mounting on the former Bayer Leverkusen playmaker to justify his enormous price tag.
Physical challenges and missing the mark
Writing in his Daily Telegraph column, Carragher questioned if the highly-rated midfielder possesses the necessary athleticism to dominate English football.
The jury is out on whether he possesses the tools to overcome the physical challenge. I must admit, I have my doubts.
Jamie Carragher
The pundit drew unfavourable comparisons between the creative talent and Manchester City icon Kevin De Bruyne, noting a distinct lack of running and shooting power.
Even at his best, Wirtz has looked ‘neat and tidy’ rather than the killer in and around the penalty box one would have expected given his fee and reputation.
Instead of operating as a definitive game-changer, Carragher argued the high-profile acquisition has only resembled a functional squad addition worth a fraction of his transfer fee.
Tactical dilemmas under new management
Supporters of the marquee signing have maintained that adapting to the frenetic pace of English football routinely requires a full transitional season.
However, structural defensive frailties last year frequently forced Slot to deploy the playmaker out of position on the left wing, which severely stifled his natural attacking rhythm.
Carragher fears this tactical compromise could repeat itself if early results falter under Iraola’s preferred system of utilising traditional wide players.
If Wirtz does not have the desired impact in the early games this season, it is not difficult to foresee history repeating itself and Iraola realising he must compromise attacking romanticism for pragmatism.
The Reds ended their previous campaign a staggering 25 points behind champions Arsenal, despite a significant summer investment strategy that also included Alexander Isak and Jeremie Frimpong.
Liverpool will travel to St James’ Park to face Newcastle United on Sunday, 23 August for their opening fixture of the 2026/27 season.