Liverpool told to expect Florian Wirtz 'boost' as Arne Slot sent January transfer message

EXCLUSIVE: Former Arsenal striker Alan Smith on Florian Wirtz's form at Liverpool and why Arne Slot shouldn't be looking to sign more attackers next month amid Antoine Semenyo links

Florian Wirtz during the Premier League game between Liverpool and Wolves.(Image: Steven Halliwell/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

While there are still improvements for Liverpool to make, there is no doubt that things have started to look up for Arne Slot in recent games. The losing streak has come to an end.

Liverpool was far from perfect against Wolves last weekend, but got over the line. Seven days before that, it beat Tottenham in North London in a match that Slot's men probably wouldn't have won only a few weeks earlier.

Playing better and being more convincing is the aim, of course, but it is a good thing that Liverpool has begun to pick up points again. Its spot among the Champions League contenders has been regained.

Central to the upturn in fortunes has been the form of some key men. Florian Wirtz has looked much better in the last few games, scoring his first goal, while Curtis Jones and Hugo Ekitike have stepped up too.

"Wirtz is getting there," former Arsenal striker Alan Smith tells Liverpool.com. "It will have been a relief for him getting his first goal the other day, which always makes a big difference.

"And aside from that, he looks sharper now and playing off the left, mainly, gives him a little bit more freedom just to drift inside and maybe find space.

Liverpool playmaker Florian Wirtz.(Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)

"He’ll be pleased. Certainly, Liverpool and Slot will be pleased now. And if he can offer a goal threat regularly, which he did in Germany, so there’s no reason I don’t think he can’t here, then that would be a boost for Liverpool."

Alexander Isak is set for a sustained period on the sidelines but only three players in the Premier League have scored more goals than Ekitike. With Mohamed Salah to add back into the mix too, Slot has options.

"Liverpool has gone from having too many strikers to not enough, perhaps, but Ekitike is a very good striker, so they’d obviously want to keep him fit," Smith says.

"Mo Salah is coming back in a couple of weeks, then that gives them another option. I know that for Egypt, he is playing more centrally, I think, in the AFCON. So that could be something going forward.

Arne Slot and Mohamed Salah during a Liverpool training session.(Image: Lewis Storey/Getty Images)

"But they’ll just hope that they don’t get any more injuries. As I said, Wirtz is in there, and Ekitike has done so well since arriving at Liverpool, so they’ll just hope that they can keep everyone fit now.

"In terms of January, I don’t think Slot would want to buy in terms of attacking players because there are too many. When Isak came in, you thought, 'How’s that going to work with Ekitike'? So, even with PSR, they’ve spent a fortune last summer.

"Whether they’ve got any headroom or not, I’d be surprised. They might buy players in different positions, but certainly not in the attacking slots, I don’t think."

In midfield, while Liverpool could do with some more depth, Jones has stepped up — dovetailing nicely with Wirtz and helping create chances for Ekitike.

"Jones has been a good player for Liverpool for a long time," Smith, speaking on behalf of Best Betting Sites, continued. "He’s never really established himself in the starting XI.

"He’s been in and out, and sometimes that happens when you’re an academy product. But he’s an experienced boy now, and his versatility is really handy. So he’s a good lad to have. He could have a chance for England.

"I was just looking at the last squad, and Alex Scott was in there, Adam Wharton. For tournaments, that versatility is quite often valued by managers.

"I think Lee Carsley gave him his debut. He’s got about six caps so he certainly might be one Thomas Tuchel would look at."