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Germany legend Lothar Matthaus insists it's "normal" for Florian Wirtz to be suffering a dip in form after his blockbuster £116 million ($156.7 million) transfer to Liverpool.
Wirtz has lacked spark in his first four appearances for Liverpool since joining from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer, with supporters particularly concerned over the way he lost possession several times in the wins over Bournemouth and Arsenal.
The 22-year-old also struggled in Germany's shock 2-0 defeat to Slovakia on Thursday, with suggestions he could be feeling the pressure of his huge transfer fee. But World Cup and Ballon d'Or winner Matthaus is confident Wirtz will quickly adapt to the English game having experienced his own struggles after swapping the German Bundesliga for Italy's Serie A.
Matthaus told Sky Germany of Wirtz: "This is normal, after such a big move abroad. But he is a great player, will get used to the Premier League over time and be able to handle even greater pressure.
"I felt the same way at Inter Milan at first. Andi Brehme, whose transfer was rather silent, immediately performed in Milan.
"I also had to get used to everything because of the media hype and the higher transfer fee."
Wirtz was voted in the Bundesliga's Team of the Season in each of his last two campaigns at Leverkusen, while he won the division's Player of the Season award during their title-winning success in 2023/24.
Liverpool legend Didi Hamann is in full agreement with compatriot Matthaus that the attacking midfielder will soon be lighting up Anfield once he has fully settled in.
"The Bundesliga is the league closest to the Premier League in terms of physicality and pace, more so than Italy or Spain. However, it's a different game," Hamann told CoinPoker.
"In the first few weeks, Florian Wirtz was caught in possession against Bournemouth a couple of times, and again on Sunday [against Arsenal].
"This happened five times all season in the Bundesliga, but probably four or five times now in the first four games, including the Community Shield.
"It's a different pace, and he needs to get used to it and adapt. He's a smart player. He has a couple of weeks with the national team now, and I think he'll be fine.
"If people worry, I tell them not to worry. The kid is smart, good, and special.
"I think in the next few weeks, we'll see the player everybody was hoping they signed."
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