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Liverpool summer signing Florian Wirtz will come good for Reds head coach Arne Slot after his $157 million (£116 million) move from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer.
That is the view of the former Premier League center-back James Collins, who believes it is only a matter of time before the German shows his true ability level at Anfield. Wirtz is yet to score for Liverpool, and is set to miss the game with PSV through injury, but he has shown glimpses of his quality.
"Florian Wirtz is a world-class player, no doubt about it," Collins told Boyle Sports, who offer Premier League betting. "You can tell that by the price tag. But it does take time. The Premier League is a very physical league.
"Even since I played, it has changed a lot, but it's still very physical.
"It takes time just to get used to the football, the city, the manager, and the football club. So, there's no doubt he's going to be a top player.
"We've seen it with other top players who have come into the Premier League; they struggle initially. I think it's just a matter of time. Before long, he'll find his feet, and we'll see the player we know is in there."
Wirtz and fellow big-money signing Alexander Isak have shown only a few signs of what they can do, but both are good enough to make it at Liverpool long-term.
And Collins was also asked about Isak in comparison to Erling Haaland, with the Norwegian outscored by the Swede last season.
"They are different players," Collins said. "Isak, for me, is probably a more out-and-out goalscorer. He runs the channels and is an out-and-out goalscorer.
"To be honest, I wouldn't fancy playing against either of them. Both on their day are top players.
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"It's a bit of a strange one up at Liverpool, as neither of them are firing on all cylinders. I wouldn't fancy marking either, but I'd pick one of those two over Erling Haaland, probably Isak over Haaland.
"It's a bit of a conundrum for Liverpool, what they've got to do with these two lads."
Liverpool.com says: Isak and Wirtz will be fine moving forward. They are both good enough to make it at Liverpool but it will take some time before things click. Fitness-wise and strength-wise, neither player is at the peak right now, which is the only thing holding them back.
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