Former Germany international and ex-Chelsea player R. Huth seems to have lost faith in Wirtz. In the ex-defender's view, the former Bayer Leverkusen talent will struggle to establish himself at Liverpool and could depart soon.

R. Huth discussed Wirtz's development on the podcast "In The Mixer". He said: "I really struggle to see how things can change."

R. Huth played for English clubs including Chelsea, Leicester City and Stoke City. He believes Wirtz "is clearly a very good player", but "his physical presence is indeed a major problem."

R. Huth pointed out that, especially in an attacking midfield role, players sometimes need to "use their body to shield the ball from opponents" or actively draw fouls, but "I don't see any of that from him."

Will Wirtz leave Liverpool after Christmas?

Last weekend, Wirtz was substituted off in the 63rd minute during Liverpool's 2-2 draw with Newcastle. This was the first match under new manager Iraola.

R. Huth was unimpressed with Wirtz's display: "His body language on the pitch is also rather poor."

His advice is: when things aren't going well, you have to play "hard" on the pitch, "being a nuisance to opponents for 90 minutes". But Wirtz hasn't shown that intensity yet.

R. Huth also questions whether Wirtz can turn things around: "If his performance doesn't improve, they may consider letting him leave around Christmas, because for Liverpool, he's become an expensive problem."

Wirtz believes he has improved

Wirtz joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen in June 2025 for an initial fee of approximately €117 million, rising to around €136 million with add-ons.

In his first season at Liverpool, Wirtz made 49 appearances, contributing 7 goals and 8 assists. However, particularly in the Premier League, he has rarely been able to fully prove his worth.

Wirtz was recently questioned again by Jamie Carragher. Wirtz had previously stated in an interview that he critically assesses his own performance, while emphasizing that he has improved in "almost every aspect."

Traduzido por IA.

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