Florian Wirtz given new Liverpool warning as agreement reached on record transfer

Jurgen Klinsmann has warned Florian Wirtz he will need to fight for his place at Liverpool after his tricky start to life at Anfield.

The German international has come under a lot of scrutiny following what was a record-breaking move from Bayer Leverkusen during the summer. Wirtz has just one assist from his 10 appearances for the Reds so far, having not added any goal contributions since the Community Shield in August.

His form has led to some criticism from the likes of Gary Neville, and despite the hefty price Liverpool paid to sign him, Arne Slot has come under increasing pressure to drop Wirtz in recent games.

The 22-year-old will hope to rediscover some form during the international break, with Germany facing Luxembourg and Northern Ireland in World Cup qualifiers over the next few days.

Wirtz has been spotted putting in extra work during training sessions with his country as he tries to return to the sort of levels that earned him his move to Anfield in the first place, having been supported by a number of German legends in recent days.

Klinsmann is the latest to throw his weight behind the forward, although he did offer a warning to Wirtz about the challenge he faces at Liverpool.

“Florian needs time to find his feet in the northwest of England,” Klinsmann told Sports Illustrated.

“Liverpool in particular: That's a lot for a young lad. And then he's coming into a team made up entirely of superstars.

“He'll have to fight his way through it step by step – and that's what he will. He's a fighter.”

Klinsmann’s comments come after fellow German legends Bastian Schweinsteiger and Philipp Lahm supported Wirtz, and insisted he will eventually find his feet at Liverpool.

"We have to give the players a bit of time," Schweinsteiger said, via RTL. "Especially when you move from the Bundesliga to the Premier League, you also have to adjust a bit.

"I've experienced that myself. He will delight us all in the future. Florian Wirtz is a fantastic footballer, a great character. We should be happy that we have such a player in Germany."

Lahm added: "I'm not worried about Florian Wirtz at all because he's such an outstanding, brilliant player who simply makes his teammates better.

"Quality and class always prevail, and that will absolutely be the case with Florian Wirtz."

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