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Arne Slot has challenged Florian Wirtz to prove he can perform twice a week, every week, to reach his sky-high potential after arriving at Liverpool for a club-record fee that could reach $158 million (£116 million) including add-ons.
The Reds boss dropped in the names of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah when talking about the German's potential. But more than highlighting his ability to create chances and score goals, it is being available for every match that Slot wants to see from Wirtz.
As the former Bayer Leverkusen playmaker begins his Premier League career against Bournemouth, Slot offered his view on what he needs to do next to ensure he reaches the very top — something he is clearly capable of.
"Everything we expect is very positive, but between expecting and realizing something is different," said Slot. "Why are Messi and Ronaldo and Mo, why are they so highly regarded? Because they are always fit.
"Every single game, they are fit. And that is something that Florian first has to show in a league like ours. If he is able to stay to fit, then our fans will see great moments."
Wirtz scored 34 goals and provided 35 assists in his last two seasons under Xabi Alonso in Germany, finishing top of the Bundesliga and then runner-up to Bayern Munich.
"He might be young but he already won a lot," Slot said. "Factually, we can see him as a young player, but in terms of his experience, I don’t see him as a young player.
"He won the league in Germany, won the cup, has played for his country numerous times, and apart from that, his mentality is his biggest strength.
"That says a lot because if you see him play, you’re like: 'Are you serious?', because he’s so creative. But how mentally strong he is, he doesn’t get distracted at all by a transfer fee or anything else."
In pre-season, the signs have been there that Wirtz could form a strong partnership with Salah. However, the Egyptian had a quiet day at Wembley as the Reds lost on penalties to Crystal Palace last weekend.
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Slot, though, is not concerned by that performance. When it really matters, Salah is likely to step up.
"No, the last time we were at Wembley, he didn’t play his best game as well," Slot said, referencing the Carabao Cup final defeat against Newcastle United.
"By the way, Trent [Alexander-Arnold] wasn’t playing behind them then — it was Jarell [Quansah]. But even players like Mo can have a game where they maybe don’t play how we expect them to play.
"The good thing for us is that it hardly ever happens. He is nine out of 10 times the best version of himself, and sometimes it is also the quality of the opponent or the playing style of the opponent that makes it really difficult for him."
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