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Why Liverpool spent big to sign Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz

until Bayer Leverkusen Boss Xabi Alonso did not believe it. After viewing Florian Witroz Dancing through a crowd of Screiburg Defenders in October 2023 To give his team valuable progress on their way to Bundesliga The title, previous Spain Lifting internationally simply his eyebrows on the touch line.

It was a calm recognition of Wirtz, and Alonso’s feelings were echoed after the match by Ferurg Cristian Sterech coach, who simply claimed: “You cannot defend Florian Wirez.”

This hypothesis will be tested more strict than ever in the next season after Wirtz moved at a value of 100 million pounds (in addition to 16 million pounds in additions) from leverkusen to Liverpool. The 22 -year -old playmaker ARNE SLOT II has reached the summer, after signing 30 million pounds to his teammate in the team Jeremy FrimbongWith Liverpool, their transfer record (paid £ 75 million to sign the defender Virgil van Dick from Southampton In January 2018), but not completely the British transportation record (Chelsea signing 106.8 million pounds Enzo Fernandez).

On paper, it can be said that Wirtz is the most exciting signature in world football this summer. After I enjoyed the height of a meteor in Leverkusen, Germany International is already one of the most amazing Europe’s talents, and in joining Premier League Heroes, he got a huge platform to display his abilities.

It is also a step that surprised many, with the German league champions Bayern Munich Or Liga giants real madrid (After they rented Alonso) He is seen as the most likely Wirtz destination. However, an ESPN source told Slot’s vision that the disabled factor in the player’s decision to move to Merseyside.

Wirtz was recognized as a man to take the Dutch Liverpool project to the next level. So here is all you need to know.

“A real spark and joy for it”

Smaller than 10 siblings, perhaps no wonder that the family is at the Wartz World Center. The midfielder grew up in the rural town of Pulheim, outside Cologne, and began his career with his local team SV Grün-WEIIß Brauweiler, where his father, Hans Jwashim, is still his agent as well.

“He and the ball always were only one; you can see it early when you played against him or when we did things with football.” Werder BremenHe said The official Bundesliga site in 2023.

“Even the way he looked at the ball. The truth is that he has a lot of talents, but he did a lot as well [in terms of working] On that. Early, when he was really young, you can tell the boy will have a football relationship. “

In fact, Wirtz’s talent and his application quickly earned him to FC Cologne, where he spent more than a decade at the Club Academy before joining Leverkusen in 2020. During his period in Bayarena, he created the midfielder himself as one of the Bundesliga stars, scored 57 goals and 65 of hostility in 197 clubs.

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Florian Wesroz’s wonderful goal makes him 2-0 Leverkusen

Florian Witroz dances through Freiburg’s defense and doubles the Leverkusen feature.

After recovering from an injury to the front cruciate ligament (ACL) that lasted in 2022, Wirtz developed into a creative point of creative Leverkusen during the Alonso era, and a championship at a time when the club challenged the difficulties to reach its first title at all, and even it is not defeated, in 2023-24, in addition to winning the DFB-Pokal and reaching UEFA EUROPA LEGUE The final, where the team lost in the end Atalanta.

“When you play with Wirtz, you notice the difference,” says Leverkusen Gareth Houston for ESPN. “There is only a few of the missing sparks when there is not. For me, he was the prominent player.

“He got a reputation in Germany as it is somewhat similar to someone like [Chelsea forward] Cole Palmer In the sense that it is concerned with concern; It is very cool, it’s very happy. He loves to play football: there is a real spark and joy towards it that you do not see with many players, and he expresses it on the field. “

Wirtz also developed into a key player in the Julian Nagilsman team in Germany, after he appeared for the first time for the national team during the Joachin Low in September 2021. 29 big senior sentences have already won and showed that he was watching the big occasion, scoring a goal against Spain in the Airfels role in the European Championship last summer.

“Florian is just a huge feature with his nature,” Barcelona Boss Hansi Felk, who managed Germany from 2021-22, said about his former player. “He is simply a distinguished technician, loves to play, is very creative, has a good shot, and extends strongly and fast. It is the full package.”

The striker’s soccer player set for the next decade?

Given that Liverpool won the Premier League title in Canter-ending, after 10 points from second place ArsenalIn late April-the Slot’s Squad team does not need a major surgery this summer. However, although domestic control, the Champions League comes out to Paris Saint -Germain In a 16 -round, some shortcomings were placed in the team, which alludes to more speed, elegance and gunfire.

“I think we can find an additional weapon or weapons that the team does not possess,” Super said in May. “Perhaps, perhaps, using the transportation market. That’s what we are trying to achieve. This will only make us stronger.”

Certainly, WIRTZ will be a strong striker for any world football team, and its unique skills group must provide an opening with the additional taste he was eager.

“It can be said that Wirtz is one of the best attacking games in the world at the present time,” said previous scouts, Tor Carlsen Karlsen, to ESPN. “It is not surprising that it was prepared by the largest clubs in world football. It is possible that a determined soccer player is likely to be a specific striker over the next decade.”

In Leverkusen, Wirtz is often lined as a central striker, or No. 10, works behind a position forward. It remains to see whether it will be used in a similar way by the opening, or whether it will be published in a more advanced location, either on the left wing or as error number 9. Wherever it is, it is possible that it will be assigned to become the most creative Liverpool power, and certainly its numbers indicate that he has all the ingredients to achieve this request.

Since the beginning of the 2023-24 season, only Mohamed Salah (28) He has larger passes in the five major league championships in Europe from Wirtz (23). According to OPTA, Wirtz ranked eighth for progressive passes in the German League last season (155), and was designed 2.1 opportunities for open play for every 90 minutes in the Bundesliga (at least 1000 minutes) – more than any of his teammates in Leverkusen and slightly less than Salah Leverbul (2.3).

It is also hoped that Wirtz on Slot’s side will help replace the ingenuity of the right -back Trent Alexander ArnoldWho regularly helped RDS to open the stubborn defenses before joining Real Madrid in June. Last season, Wirtz created 2.1 chances of open play for every 90 minutes compared to Alexander-Arnold’s 1.6, while Liverpool’s new signature also exceeded England International in terms of expected assistance per 90 (0.36 to 0.28).

Perhaps he highlighted everything, though, Wirtz showed a willingness to put the solid squares for his team during his time in Leverkusen. The average rate of rotation is high per 90 minutes in all competitions in 2024-25; Most of all international players (at least 1500 minutes) were played. His impressive rate of work will stand in a good position in Anfield.

Expert display

Carlsen is studying what makes Wirtz very special.

Equipped with great technical skills, Wirtz has an incredible ability to discover running from a teammate and choose the correct pass. It works in the pockets attacking the space brilliantly, as it is able to create opportunities and often successfully take advocates.

This is especially clear when he can quickly rotate with the ball and suddenly at the pace of the step. In fact, only Arsenal Martin Ødegaard (Or peak Kevin de BruyneWirtz can compete for automatic change procedures from the central attack areas.

With a average of less than 70 passes per 90 minutes, the young man is very active in accumulation and is always looking for favorable sites to receive the ball. It is also a wonderful preserved. The majority of its goals tend to come from inside the box (centrally), often implemented after carefully selecting its place and applying the correct pace to the ball with the shooting technique.

World -class global player with Ballon D’Or

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Why Florian Wirtz is Ballon d’Orender in the future

Jan Aage FjmentOft explains the strengths of Florian Wirtz as it was named 2 on the best 39 U21 players from ESPN.

With a wonderful collection of working behind it already, it is not surprising that Wirtz is associated with many of the best clubs in Europe before eventually settled to ANFIELD.

“Flo is one of the best players in the world,” Alonso told Leverkusen press conference last month. “It is a global level. If he has a very mature mind. The people around him, his parents, want the best for him. They are at a very important moment of his career.”

He chose that Wirtz jumps to the Premier League rather than staying in his homeland reflects his passion for expanding his horizons. His family, as well as fair, helped his decision and their support will be needed to ensure a smooth transfer to English football.

“[The transfer fee] “The additional pressure the player has reached to Liverpool, a team that has already won the Premier League last season,” former Luis Garcia midfielder Luis Garcia told ESPN FC.

“People will expect him to put his talent on the table immediately, but when you see him playing, my feeling is that he does not feel pressure. When he is on the ball, he has the ability to stop the time, stop the moment and has a body’s essence to decide well … to need the shot.

Wirtz’s adaptation to life on MERSEYSIDE will be easier by having a good friend and former Leverkusen team teammate. By imposing charging forward from the right, the husband has made 111 contributions to the goal Leverkusen over the past two seasons, and this feeling of familiarity may be essential to help both players feel at home on and off the field.

Houston says: “Florian and Jerry are both from Jokers,” says Houston. “They are good colleagues, so I think that will help him greatly in terms of stability. I would like to say this may have affected his decision strongly.

“Florian gets a free rule in Leverkusen and I was told that one of the things I had in Liverpool is that they will build the team around him. It is not No. 10, it is not a wing, it’s just a legend Weretz.

“If he can stay free of injuries and keep the ground, the sky is the maximum. In a team like Liverpool, he can do a very good job. I think he got Ballon d’Ore.”

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