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Rio Ferdinand has hinted that Florian Wirtz might be second-guessing his decision to join Liverpool, following a somewhat muted start at Anfield.
The German sensation made the leap from Bayer Leverkusen in a staggering £116 million ($154.6 million) deal, snubbing offers from Bayern Munich and Manchester City. However, with Arne Slot's players yet to find their rhythm this season, the 22-year-old is under increasing scrutiny.
Still adjusting to English soccer, the attacking midfielder hasn't been given a starting position in his preferred No. 10 role in five of his last six appearances. He found himself warming the bench for Premier League clashes against Everton, Chelsea, and Manchester United, while he was positioned on the wings for matches against Crystal Palace and Eintracht Frankfurt.
Despite this, Wirtz did impress during his return to Germany with Liverpool, ending his 10-game goal contribution drought.
The young prodigy notched his first assist for the Reds on his debut against Crystal Palace in the Community Shield, but had failed to increase his tally until he set up two goals against Bundesliga opposition on Wednesday.
Liverpool initially crowned Wirtz as the most expensive signing in British transfer history, before smashing the record again when the Merseyside club signed Alexander Isak on deadline day for a jaw-dropping £125 million ($166.6 million).
Ferdinand himself twice held such a record, having moved to Leeds from West Ham in an £18 million ($24 million) deal in November 2000 before transferring to Manchester United for a cool £29.1 million ($38.8 million) in the summer of 2002.
Speaking ahead of Wirtz's performance against Frankfurt, the Manchester United legend suggested the German may well have been questioning his decision to join Liverpool following such a quiet start to life at Anfield.
"It's a huge call – you're a £100m player," he said on his Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast.
"I was a record signing a couple of times in my career, and if at any point in those first two or three months, if a manager dropped me for a game of that importance and significance, there would have been huge doubts in my mind.
"Doubts would creep in, it would be impossible that you don't start thinking, 'Have I made the right decision?'
"I was with a player, I can't mention his name, he was a big signing for a team, and he said he started slow at one of the teams he signed for, and he was going, 'Oh my god, have I made the right decision?'
"There were question marks in his own head, and this guy comes across as a confident player.
"And there is no doubt in my mind right now that when Wirtz saw his name not on that team sheet that he was going on his way home, in the warm-up, in his bed that night, 'Is this the right decision?'
"I'm not saying it's the wrong decision, but I'd have a big amount of money if I was a gambling man that there would have been a thought in his mind that said that and went along those lines."
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