Florian Wirtz Could Be Liverpool’s Key to Unlocking Premier League Defenses and Halting Man City

As Wirtz lays off the ball to another player, he spins and manipulates the space behind the defender who has been drawn into midfield with him.

It’s a signature move that is hard to defend because it crucially opens up gaps in the half-spaces—something difficult to achieve against teams that defend in two banks of four.

His heatmap clearly demonstrates why Wirtz must play as a left-attacking midfielder behind Victor Boniface.

If he were to join Liverpool—which seems the most likely destination at the moment—he could drop deep and interchange similarly to Mohamed Salah or Luis Diaz, not necessarily needing to occupy exactly the same position.

There’s a heavy emphasis on him receiving the ball in the left or right half-spaces.

These positions also enable him to draw a center-back out against opponents playing with a back five. While opponents believe an extra defender gives them license to press higher, this instead allows Wirtz to manipulate the gaps between defenders.

The German international cleverly uses the pressure defenders put on him against them. Space is everything in modern football, and Wirtz knows precisely how to pull defenders around to find it.

The Bayer Leverkusen attacker has benefited from playing in a fabulous Bundesliga-conquering side, where each player’s level was raised.

Should he step into an environment featuring some of the world’s best attackers, Wirtz already knows how to form key relationships to make attacks thrive.

(stats taken from Fotmob)

It isn’t just the fact that he exploits defenders’ movements; it’s also about making his play fruitful for teammates.

Once defenders try to mark or tackle him—whether his back is to goal or he’s charging at defenses—he draws them in, then lays the ball off to bring another attacker into play while darting into the vacated space.

He moves quickly, but his mind moves even quicker.

Many attackers have moved to the Premier League from the Bundesliga, with varying degrees of success.

While Erling Haaland was a uniquely special talent, recently the trend of attackers moving from Germany to England has improved as the pace of football in the Bundesliga has increased.

Initially, signings like Timo Werner and Christian Pulisic struggled, but Omar Marmoush and Dominik Szoboszlai seem to have bucked the trend:

With Liverpool having already submitted a €100 million bid, Wirtz would become one of the most expensive attackers to move from Germany to England. Given his 69 goal involvements in his last two seasons at Leverkusen, you can understand why.

Wirtz brings a different dimension to the table. While Liverpool’s explosive attack is already among the best, the Reds tend to push four attackers high up the pitch and make runs off them to create chances.

Wirtz could add another layer and become the attacker who drops into the gaps left by defenses occupied with marking Liverpool’s front four.

Liverpool’s gain (should they sign him) would be Manchester City’s loss. As Pep Guardiola aims to rebuild his attack, Wirtz is precisely the player who could add penetration to City’s sometimes laborious attack.

Though the transfer fee may be hefty, Wirtz’s intelligence, trickery, and pace would be worth their weight in gold.