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Florian Wirtz is yet to fully find his feet at Liverpool, but there have been signs of what he can do. In the Champions League, for instance, only seven players have created more chances than the German.
In the games that Liverpool has to come in the Premier League, Wirtz should find that he has a bit more time and space. And with his record in the Bundesliga so good, it should only be a matter of time before it translates.
In Germany, there is a prevailing opinion that Wirtz will be a success in England — he is simply too talented for that not to be the case. At his former club, there is complete confidence as well.
"For all his individual class, Flo is above all one thing: a total team player," Simon Rolfes, the Bayer Leverkusen chief executive, told KSTA.
"Flo thrives on combination play, but at the moment Liverpool hasn't quite gelled as a team yet. That makes things more difficult for Flo."
"On paper, you might not see the goals, but if you compare my games with his, he’s much more involved in the game," Newcastle United striker and German teammate Nick Woltemade added.
"I’m probably in the right place three or four times, get the ball, and put it in the net — he, on the other hand, is very active in the game, has many touches, and makes good plays."
Wirtz has been unfortunate that his teammates haven't finished some of the chances he has generated. It should be remembered, too, that he is only 22, is playing outside of Germany for the first time, and has come into a team that has undergone significant changes.
"I only take the criticism from the former internationals in passing," said his father and agent, Hans Wirtz, said this week.
"Florian is a young man who wants to prove himself in a new environment.
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"Less than a third of the season has been played. So far, everything is going as expected; it's a completely normal settling-in process, entirely independent of any transfer fee.
"And: If you look at the statistics more closely, you can see that Florian's stats regarding his involvement in the game are already quite good; only assists and goals are still pending."
Liverpool.com says: Wirtz is a huge talent. When he gets up to speed, he has all the tools required to be successful in the Premier League. He has said himself that he needs to get fitter and stronger, but on the ball, we have already glimpses of his class.
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