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Jürgen Klopp has defended Florian Wirtz amidst criticism following his summer transfer to Liverpool, labelling him as a 'once in a century talent'. The 22-year-old made the switch from Bayer Leverkusen to the Reds for a record-breaking fee.
However, Wirtz's start at Anfield has been less than stellar, with no goals or assists in his first seven appearances. He was benched by Arne Slot in the Premier League champions' most recent match, only coming on as a substitute in the second half of a 2-1 loss to Chelsea.
Despite facing scrutiny from fans and pundits alike over his performance, former Liverpool boss Klopp remains confident that his fellow countryman will soon find his stride at Anfield.
While attending a padel tournament in Mallorca, Klopp told RTL and n-tv (as reported by Goal): "I don't have to worry about Florian Wirtz because his quality is so outstanding. Of course, everything is fine, and everyone knows that. The discussion is certainly being blown out of proportion.
"Liverpool have just lost three games in a row – it's unusual for something like that to happen after such a long time. But it's also normal in life.
"That's why these things are discussed. I've been in the middle of such discussions long enough now, and I can tell you: nothing could interest people less than the public discussions that are taking place there. So it doesn't matter, and everything will be fine."
Liverpool started the season on a high, winning their first six matches. However, they've since been hit with a string of less than stellar performances, culminating in last-minute Premier League losses to Crystal Palace and Chelsea, as well as a Champions League defeat at the hands of Galatasaray.
The form of Wirtz has been a hot topic of debate, but Klopp remains confident that the German international will soon be back to his best, describing him as "a once-in-a-century talent, and at some point he'll show that in every game again, as he did at Leverkusen."
Klopp further reassured fans by saying: "[Wirtz has] a stable environment at Liverpool, and the club is great in moments like these. If anyone's worried, you don't have to! You can stop."
It comes after Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann discussed Wirtz's form while on international duty. “Even if he hasn’t scored a goal, he’s the player who creates the most chances in the Premier League," Nagelsmann said.
"It’s not his fault if his teammate doesn’t create them, and the statistic isn’t even a third of the truth.
“He simply has to get used to the league. I’ve seen him feel completely liberated. He knows what he’s capable of and how things work. Not everything has always been handed to him — he’ll work hard now, too.”
Liverpool is set to return to Premier League action on Sunday, 19 October, when they host arch-rivals Manchester United at Anfield.
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