2 weeks ago
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Former Premier League defender Joleon Lescott believes Liverpool would gladly accept a refund on Florian Wirtz if such an option were available.
The German midfielder joined Anfield during the summer for a staggering £116 million ($115.8 million). Wirtz demonstrated potential in the Community Shield with an assist, but his Premier League displays have been rather underwhelming thus far.
The 22-year-old has failed to find the net or register an assist in England's top division. Lescott, who played for the likes of Everton and Manchester City during his career, believes that while it remains premature to fully assess Wirtz, the Reds would gladly recoup their investment from Bayer Leverkusen if presented with such a theoretical proposition.
"I'm not convinced," said Lescott, speaking on In The Mixer, brought to you by Sky Bet. "If Liverpool could get their money back at the end of the season, they would do it.
"Listen, we can't judge him solely on the games that he's played in, but he should have had an impact on one of those games. And for me, it was the Burnley game.
"I'm like, if you're an attacking player, forget the fee and we need a goal, I shouldn't be taking you off. You should be the guy that then hopefully creates the opportunity.
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"I think I should have seen something that would make me go, 'Right, good, I'm gonna see that again.' Just like a moment in a game. I would have liked to have seen that by now and know that it was coming. There haven't been enough of them moments yet."
Despite not contributing many goals, Wirtz has created a significant number of opportunities this season. Arne Slot continues to show faith in him by consistently selecting him for the starting line-up, and he also enjoys the support of a former Liverpool manager.
Jurgen Klopp, his fellow countryman, believes that the chatter surrounding Wirtz has been exaggerated and that the 22-year-old will silence any critics.
Klopp stated: "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.
"[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."
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