Florian Wirtz at Liverpool: What His Arrival Means for the 2025/26 Season
The arrival of Florian Wirtz at Liverpool could mark a turning point in the club’s evolution as it enters the post-Klopp era. Wirtz, one of Germany’s most prodigious talents, has been instrumental in Bayer Leverkusen’s resurgence under Xabi Alonso. But how does the 21-year-old attacking midfielder fit into Liverpool’s plans? Let’s break it down through tactical analysis, statistical insights, and predictive projections for the 2025/26 season.
Who is Florian Wirtz?
Florian Wirtz is a versatile attacking midfielder known for his exceptional vision, close control, and ability to break lines with both dribbling and passing. His 2024/25 Bundesliga season was exceptional:
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 32 |
| Goals | 12 |
| Assists | 15 |
| Key Passes per 90 | 2.7 |
| Progressive Passes/90 | 6.3 |
| Successful Dribbles/90 | 3.1 |
| xA (Expected Assists) | 11.9 |
These numbers place him among Europe’s elite creators — particularly in the right half-space, where he tends to operate most effectively.
Liverpool’s Tactical Evolution
Under new head coach Arne Slot, Liverpool is expected to shift from Klopp’s high-intensity gegenpressing to a more possession-based, positionally-structured system — similar to Slot’s Feyenoord or Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen.
Wirtz’s tactical intelligence and flexibility suit this direction. While he thrives in a central attacking midfield role (No. 10), he can also operate as a wide playmaker or a deeper No. 8 — a role he’d likely fill at Liverpool.
Heatmap Insights
Wirtz is most dangerous when operating from the left half-space, where his ability to receive on the half-turn and drive at defenders creates significant problems for opposition back lines. Unlike traditional wingers, he thrives when drifting inside onto his right foot — opening up opportunities to play quick combinations or switch the point of attack.
One of his most valuable traits is his vision and accuracy in diagonal long balls, which will benefit Liverpool’s right flank tremendously. Wirtz’s tendency to draw defenders leftward before executing sharp switches to the right creates ideal conditions for Mohamed Salah to exploit isolated one-on-one scenarios or late runs into the box.
This mechanism — dragging the play to the left before launching a crossfield switch — fits neatly into Arne Slot’s positional game, giving Liverpool an added layer of unpredictability and width.
How Wirtz Frees Up Salah
During the 2024/25 campaign, Mohamed Salah often found himself double-marked and isolated, especially in the final third. Without a consistent creative link from midfield to support him, opposition teams focused their defensive structures on cutting off his supply and forcing Liverpool to play down the left or centrally.
Florian Wirtz changes that dynamic. His natural inclination to operate from the left side and then switch play provides a perfect antidote to the congestion Salah typically faces. By attracting pressure to himself on the left or in central pockets, Wirtz can exploit the space behind overloaded zones with well-timed diagonal switches or slip passes.
This spatial manipulation means Salah will more frequently find himself in one-on-one situations — a scenario where he remains one of the deadliest attackers in world football. With Wirtz drawing defensive attention and redistributing it to Liverpool’s talismanic forward, expect an uptick in both Salah’s shot volume and quality of chances.
Wirtz and Frimpong: A Model of Wide Interplay
One of the standout features of Florian Wirtz’s time at Bayer Leverkusen was his remarkable synergy with right wing-back Jeremie Frimpong. The duo formed one of the Bundesliga’s most dynamic wide partnerships — frequently combining through short passing triangles, third-man runs, and blindside movements into the final third.
Wirtz would often drift left to receive the ball before threading through balls into the path of Frimpong’s underlapping runs or quickly switching back right to exploit spacing vacated by defenders following Frimpong. This fast-paced interplay was instrumental in stretching defensive blocks and creating cutback opportunities.
At Liverpool, that partnership could be rekindled directly, as Jeremie Frimpong has joined the club and is expected to take up the right wing-back role, both of whom excel in overlapping and inverting roles. Wirtz’s familiarity with timing wide combinations will ensure Liverpool maintains its traditional threat from the flanks while introducing a more choreographed, positional edge to transitions.
What This Means for Liverpool’s 2025/26 Season
- Creative Upgrade: With Wirtz, Liverpool gains a dynamic creator who can replace or support the creative void left by aging players like Thiago.
- Right-side Reinforcement: As Salah ages or adapts to a more central role, Wirtz can take over responsibility for advanced right-side playmaking.
- Flexible Midfield Setups: Wirtz allows Liverpool to line up in a 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3, or even a 3-4-2-1 — systems that thrive on central creators.
- Set-piece Advantage: His delivery and second-ball awareness add threat in dead-ball situations.
- Market Signalling: Signing Wirtz signals Liverpool’s intent to remain competitive with Manchester City, Arsenal, and Real Madrid in the transfer market and European competitions.
Conclusion
Florian Wirtz brings imagination, efficiency, and tactical versatility to Liverpool’s squad at a pivotal time. His arrival could reshape the way Liverpool attack in 2025/26 — turning a transitional season into a title-challenging campaign. Whether as a No. 10, an advanced No. 8, or even a false winger, Wirtz’s integration into Liverpool’s system will be one of the most exciting tactical developments to watch this season.