Florian Wirtz is no stranger to being highly sought after. For many young footballers, a summer with multiple top European clubs vying for their signature might be overwhelming. However, it`s hard to imagine Wirtz being fazed by such attention.
Growing up in Pulheim, near Cologne, Wirtz was immersed in a rich footballing environment, surrounded by major clubs like Borussia Dortmund, Schalke, Borussia Monchengladbach, Fortuna Dusseldorf, and Bayer Leverkusen. The talent emerging from the Cologne suburbs didn`t go unnoticed, but these clubs would have to wait.
The Wirtz family prioritized development, both for Florian and his sister Juliane, who plays for Werder Bremen. Their father, Hans, remains chairman of their childhood club, Grun-Weiss Brauweiler, ensuring Florian`s formative years were centered around local football. He grew up with a football constantly at his feet.
His early coaches recognized his innate understanding of the game. Benedikt Hammans, his youth coach in Cologne, noted that Florian seemed to know the right decisions on the pitch better than he did, even at a young age. Breaking into the Cologne Under-17 team at just 15, Wirtz was a key player in their 2019 National Championships win.
In 14 matches against older, physically stronger opponents, Wirtz contributed four goals and eight assists. His outstanding form was highlighted in the semifinal second leg against Bayern Munich U17s. Even then, you could see the qualities Liverpool might need to break their transfer record to acquire. Blocking a pass, the Cologne No. 10 immediately created space to receive the ball. With two touches, he delivered a perfectly weighted 50-yard pass behind the Bayern defense, setting up Jan Thielmann to score. Moments later, he finished off a counter-attack for his side`s fourth goal. This knack for making a decisive impact on the scoreline would become a hallmark of his game.
His talent had already drawn interest from European giants like Juventus and Arsenal, with Liverpool also monitoring his progress closely. Closer to home, Simon Rolfes, returning to Bayer Leverkusen as sporting director in 2018, was determined to sign him. Impressed by Wirtz`s technique and tenacity, Rolfes questioned why he wasn`t already at Leverkusen.
The reason was a long-standing agreement between Cologne, Leverkusen, and Borussia Monchengladbach not to poach academy players from each other, aiming for regional stability and player development. Leverkusen`s move in early 2020 was innovative yet controversial: months after leading Cologne to the youth title, Wirtz was signed by Leverkusen as a first-team player, bypassing the academy pact.
The European giants didn`t stand a chance. Besides joining his sister at the club, Wirtz could also continue his school studies, a factor his parents deemed crucial, although Florian later claimed the final decision was his. Five years on, Wirtz holds significant sway over his future, but his parents remain vital advisors. Suitors pitching for his signature this summer typically engaged directly with his father, Hans, while his mother, Karin, was involved in discussions with Manchester City.
“The sporting perspective is much more important than money,” Wirtz told Sports Illustrated, reflecting on his parents` lessons. “My parents would be angry if I ever gave money priority.”
In the early phase of his career, education sometimes even outweighed football. A few months after his move, Wirtz was left out of a Europa League squad against Slavia Prague because he had an exam the next morning. Though football was his passion, he never neglected school, even bringing a teacher with him when he received his first senior Germany call-up in March 2021.
Wirtz`s Emergence as Leverkusen`s Star
A clear pathway to the first team, just 11 miles east, was another major draw. That opportunity arose quickly. In the summer of 2020, Chelsea signed Kai Havertz for $96 million, vacating the number 10 role at Leverkusen. Instead of buying a replacement, Leverkusen promoted from within. Rolfes later stated, “We could buy [a replacement], a waste of money, the kid is already better. At the end we didn`t have a chance to act in a different way. It would have been senseless.”
With near-unanimous club support, a teenager was handed the keys to the attack. Wirtz himself remained grounded. “I try not to focus on this idea that I am any sort of special player that makes the difference in a game,” he said. “I just want to create opportunities to score, make goals happen. I don`t really care who gets the goals, it`s really about winning the games and I just want to create dangerous chances for us.”
He created those chances with remarkable consistency. Over the past four seasons in Europe`s top five leagues, Wirtz averaged 0.46 assists per 90 minutes, a rate surpassed only by Kevin De Bruyne, Thomas Muller, Ousmane Dembele, and Lionel Messi. By most creative metrics, Wirtz was among the world`s elite before turning 22.
This development wasn`t linear; he spent 10 months sidelined with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, missing the 2022 World Cup. This traumatic injury could have significantly slowed an 18-year-old`s progress. Not only did he face the emotional blow of missing a major tournament, but he also watched Leverkusen struggle in his absence, though Gerardo Seoane`s replacement by Xabi Alonso offered future hope.
Those close to Wirtz say he intensely dislikes being injured. He used his recovery time productively, focusing on refining aspects of his game. Just four months after returning, he felt he was a better player than before the injury. In his first full season back, the incredible 2023-24 campaign where Bayer Leverkusen achieved the unthinkable, his goal and shot output surged dramatically.
With Wirtz at the helm, “Neverkusen” became one of sports` most compelling narratives. An astonishing unbeaten domestic season saw them snatch the Bundesliga title from a Bayern Munich side bolstered by Harry Kane. With his knack for crucial goals, combined with elegance and relentless effort, Wirtz was undeniably the best player in Germany.
How Does He Fit at Liverpool?
His form likely continued into 2024-25, though the dramatic late winners subsided and injuries, which had spared them the previous season, took their toll. Wirtz himself suffered an ankle injury that ended his Bundesliga and Champions League campaigns prematurely. Despite greater demands and Alonso adopting a more cautious approach than the title-winning season, Wirtz still provided 20 goal contributions in the league, increasing his shots and assists.
It`s no surprise that top clubs want him. The surprising part might be that only Bayern Munich and Manchester City reportedly joined Liverpool in the race. Joachim Low voiced a common expectation that Wirtz would follow Alonso to Real Madrid. Now, Liverpool appears to be in a strong position. This might allow them to negotiate down the $170 million price tag Leverkusen reportedly attached, although any deal is still likely to break the British transfer record of $144.6 million, set by Chelsea for Enzo Fernandez in January 2023.
For that potential nine-figure fee, Liverpool would acquire a player likely to be the most talented available, opening up vast tactical possibilities for Arne Slot. The simplest approach would be to play Wirtz directly in the number 10 role occupied by Dominik Szoboszlai last season. Wirtz offers significantly higher goal contributions; Liverpool would essentially swap a player providing around six goals and assists in the league for one capable of double figures in both categories. While perhaps lighter and shorter, Wirtz is a formidable presser, winning possession in the attacking third more than any other Bundesliga player in the title-winning season.
While a direct swap works, other Liverpool signings suggest different options. The acquisition of Jeremie Frimpong (a likely future teammate of Wirtz) and Milos Kerkez points to Slot having attacking wing-backs. Last season, Liverpool`s fullbacks were notably more conservative under Jurgen Klopp. This must change with players like Frimpong, who often operated almost as a center-forward for Alonso, and Kerkez, also known for bombing forward.
Does this necessitate a more cautious midfield behind Wirtz, perhaps even a defensive anchor and a shift to a 4-3-3? This formation could also suit Wirtz, given his tendency to drift into wide areas. A highlight of Leverkusen`s play was the interplay between left wing-back Alejandro Grimaldo and Wirtz, with Grimaldo moving infield or wide, attacking the box, or combining short. Kerkez could offer similar dynamics, although Bournemouth utilized his running power more than technical skills, profiling him like a younger Andrew Robertson who excels at getting to the byline.
If Liverpool uses their left-back in that style, it poses no problem for Wirtz. Their recruitment appears designed to get wide attackers into more central positions. Having moved wider right in recent years to accommodate Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah could move infield with Frimpong overlapping. Slot could ask Wirtz to do the same from the left.
For a nine-figure fee, Liverpool gains tactical flexibility and, more importantly, an attacking focal point for the future. Since Salah signed his current contract in 2022, a key question at Anfield has been who will step up when the Egyptian King`s reign ends. Wirtz provides the answer. The crown could pass to him, and in his early twenties, he looks ready to wear it.
Based on his career path so far, a high-profile move and the challenge of succeeding a club icon should only bring out the best in Florian Wirtz.
