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Former Chelsea midfielder Dennis Wise believes there will be a lot of pressure on Florian Wirtz this season following his record transfer to Liverpool.
The 22-year-old was one of a number of big signings made by the Reds during a busy summer which saw eight new arrivals at Anfield. Wirtz made the switch from Bayer Leverkusen for what could have proven to be a Premier League record $157 million - a record which will be beaten regardless by Alexander Isak’s $169 million move from Newcastle.
Nevertheless, that hefty price tag has brought plenty of expectation along with it, and it has been something of a tricky start to life on Merseyside for the German international.
Wirtz has recorded just one assist in his four games for Liverpool so far, having started all three Premier League games and the Community Shield this season.
The international break didn’t offer much respite either, despite Wirtz scoring a superb free-kick against Northern Ireland, with the German media pulling no punches on his performances.
And, speaking to Sky Bet, Wise doesn’t expect the pressure to ease at any point.
“There is a lot of pressure on Florian Wirtz,” Wise said. “When you come in for that sort of fee, you’re going to feel it, you can’t help it.
“If I’d cost even half, or a quarter of that, I’d have felt the same pressure to produce and show what I was capable of. It just puts more weight on your shoulders.
“The good thing is, even if you start slowly, there are other players in the squad who can help carry you, take some of the pressure off, and give you time to settle. But once that price tag is on your head, that’s part and parcel of the game.
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“It’s not his fault – the club chose to spend that much, and his old club did a great job negotiating the fee they got.
"He's got a lot of players that can carry him through it as well. They're going to be a force to be reckoned with."
Wirtz will hope he can begin to find some of his best form as he returns to Liverpool this week, with the Reds set to resume their title defense this weekend.
Arne Slot’s side travels to Burnley on Sunday, looking to make it four league wins out of four before turning its attention to the Champions League, with Atletico Madrid visiting Anfield next Wednesday.
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