“It’s not his fault if his teammate doesn’t create them” - Julian Nagelsmann delivers verdict on Florian Wirtz’s struggles at Liverpool

Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann has defended Florian Wirtz after a slow start to life at Liverpool. The Reds signed the 22-year-old from Bayer Leverkusen this summer in a reported £116m deal.

Wirtz arrived with an impressive record, having won the Bundesliga in the 2023/24 season. He registered 16 goals and 15 assists from 45 games in all competitions last season, but has struggled to get going at the Merseyside club.

The German has managed just one assist from 10 games in all competitions for Liverpool so far, and looks a shadow of the player who lit up the Bundesliga. On Friday, October 10, Wirtz created four chances and hit the post with a free kick in Germany's 4-0 win over Luxembourg, but failed to get on the scoresheet.

Speaking to Sport1 at full-time, Nagelsmann insisted that his countryman's poor form at Anfield isn't entirely the player's fault.

“Even if he hasn’t scored a goal, he’s the player who creates the most chances in the Premier League. It’s not his fault if his teammate doesn’t create them, and the statistic isn’t even a third of the truth," said Nagelsmann.

He continued:

“He simply has to get used to the league. I’ve seen him feel completely liberated. He knows what he’s capable of and how things work. Not everything has always been handed to him—he’ll work hard now, too.”

Liverpool next face Manchester United at Anfield on October 19.

Are Liverpool interested in Dayot Upamecano?

Liverpool are planning a Bosman move for Dayot Upamecano next summer, according to journalist Dean Jones. The French defender's contract with Bayern Munich expires at the end of this season, and he hasn't signed a new deal yet.

Speaking to TEAMtalk, Jones added that the Reds will make a move for Upamecano if he hasn't agreed to an extension by January.

“If there is no agreement on a Bayern deal by the new year, then Liverpool are expected to more formally show their interest in the player. They would need to move quickly because they are not the only club with eyes on him, Real Madrid also have half an eye on him at the moment," said Jones.

Arne Slot was keen to sign a new defender this summer, but a move to Marc Guehi broke down in the eleventh hour. The Englishman, whose contract with Crystal Palace expires next summer, is likely to be a target in 2026 as well.

About the author

Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over seven years at Sportskeeda. He has written nearly 10000 articles for the website, and has garnered over 21 million reads.

Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.

Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.

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Edited by Deepungsu Pandit