Liverpool head coach Arne Slot and captain Virgil van Dijk have defended £116m signing Florian Wirtz’s slow start to the season, insisting he has been unlucky and needs time to adjust.
Wirtz joined in the summer as part of Liverpool’s record £446m transfer window but has yet to record a goal or an assist in seven Premier League appearances and two Champions League ties.
Ahead of facing Manchester United on Super Sunday, Slot told Sky Sports: “If you’ve been brought in for so much money, people look mainly at goals and assists, but I can tell you he could be on six or seven assists already.
Sunday 19th October 4:00pm
Kick off 4:30pm
“If you look at the passes he’s played to his team-mates which unfortunately didn’t lead to goals, one of the greatest examples is the Chelsea game where after one minute [since coming on] he had this great flick to Mo Salah.
“For Mo, this is 99 times out of 100 a goal. I have to say 98 out of 100 because the last time he got a ball like this was against Atletico Madrid from Florian Wirtz, but Mo hit the post.
“He’s been a bit unlucky with the finishing when he’s given his team-mates chances but, in general for a 22-year-old, it’s quite normal that you have to adjust to going to another country let alone going to the Premier League.”
Slot compared Wirtz’ slow start to former Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne.
“Maybe I’m now underestimating the best midfielder who has ever played in the Premier League, Kevin De Bruyne, he was 21 or 22 when he went to Chelsea,” he said. “Give him a bit of time, I would say. I’m definitely going to give him a bit of time and in the meantime, he’s been unlucky.
“He has to play and he’s played a lot. Because he’s come from a different league and played so many games, it’s quite normal that once in a while he needs a game where he doesn’t play like I’ve done with Mo Salah and many others.
“To get the best out of him, it’s of course necessary for him to play and that’s what he did and what he’s going to do in the upcoming weeks.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has called for a reaction from his players after three straight defeats starting with the HUGE Super Sunday game against Manchester United this weekend
Van Dijk stressed the importance of Wirtz settling into a new country and dressing room.
He told Sky Sports: “The main thing is when new players are coming in, as when I came in for a lot of money, is that you feel welcomed, you feel calm, your home situation is sorted, your family is happy. If that is good, then you’ll be able to excel
“On top of that, in any profession, you need a bit of time to adjust, to get to know your colleagues, what they like to do, and also the demands of the Premier League and being at Liverpool. It’s absolutely normal.
“We live in a world where it’s difficult to get time from the outside world, but as long as we, and Liverpool, are looking at the way I’m looking at it, that we want to improve, then I’ll be absolutely fine.
“I don’t think it’s good to focus purely on Florian in this case. The quality that he, Alexander (Isak), Hugo (Ekitike), Milos (Kerkez) has, there is no doubt about that.
“It’s just about being together, improving and being successful. Every day that goes by in training or the games is another opportunity to get close together.”
Watch Liverpool vs Man Utd on Super Sunday, live on Sky Sports. Kick-off 4.30pm.
