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Florian Wirtz's challenging start to his Anfield career has reportedly put Real Madrid on high alert, according to Spanish media. The current Madrid boss, Xabi Alonso, previously managed the German playmaker at Bayer Leverkusen, sparking rumors of a potential reunion if Liverpool decides to sell its $156 million star.
Wirtz kicked off his English football journey with an assist in the Community Shield, but has since struggled for another goal contribution in any of his nine Premier League or Champions League appearances. Despite Liverpool creating numerous opportunities and scoring in all but one of their matches, a promising start has been halted by three consecutive defeats across all competitions.
At this point, there's no indication that Liverpool is ready to part ways with the German international. He was benched for Saturday's loss against Chelsea, but showed encouraging signs after replacing Conor Bradley at the beginning of the second half.
Liverpool found its footing in the second half, levelling the score through Cody Gakpo, but failed to secure a second goal and was ultimately defeated by Chelsea substitute Estevao in the final moments. This resulted in it losing its hold on the top spot as the international break approaches.
Alonso's Real Madrid responded better to its first league defeat of the campaign, defeating Villarreal at home and finishing the weekend at the summit of La Liga following Barcelona's loss to Sevilla. Nevertheless, Defensa Central reports suggest that Alonso wants Los Blancos' hierarchy to monitor Wirtz should an exit opportunity materialize.
Following Saturday's loss at Chelsea, Liverpool boss Arne Slot was questioned about whether his side was still seeking some balance after a hectic summer transfer window.
"I think if you play the style we play – so a high press – and the style Chelsea plays – a high press – it would be a surprise if both teams, with the quality that both teams have, that they never play through your press, so that would be unrealistic," he said.
"You go here to Stamford Bridge with them having eight injuries, so you're like, 'This can be positive, then they probably don't have the options from the bench.'
But they did still have a few good options from the bench to impact the game. So it would be unrealistic to expect that if you play Chelsea – they want to play out from the back – that they never play through your press, as we played through their press as well."
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Alonso enters the international break celebrating victory for his side, though it wasn't without fitness concerns. Kylian Mbappe and Franco Mastantuono both departed the pitch during the final stages of the match, with Madrid's manager providing an update.
"Kylian had a discomfort in his ankle and Franco has an overload in his hamstring," Alonso stated. "We will continue the progression with their national teams.
"We can't say if (Mbappe) will go with France or not, they will have to evaluate him in their national team. If it gets complicated, he won't be able to play, but now we can't say anything."
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can read the original story in the Mirror by clicking here.
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