Liverpool manager, Arne Slot, has addressed Arsene Wenger’s recent claim that summer signing Florian Wirtz has “destroyed” the Reds’ midfield.
After lifting the Premier League title from Manchester City last season, Liverpool will be hoping their upcoming trip to the Etihad can demonstrate the value of their summer transfer dealings.
Both Liverpool and City had been keen to sign Florian Wirtz, but it was Slot who convinced the 22-year-old attacking midfielder to join the Reds from Bayer Leverkusen for a reported £116million.
Wirtz has taken some time to settle into Liverpool’s heavily restructured squad, leading Wenger this week to suggest that his arrival had a negative impact on the club’s previously dominant midfield.
Despite starting Wirtz on the left wing during Tuesday’s impressive Champions League victory over Real Madrid, Slot remains confident the Germany international will thrive in his preferred central role.
“Everyone has a right to his own opinion and many of them have,” Slot said regarding Wenger’s remarks (via Liverpool Echo). “If I need open-heart surgery, I am not going to tell the surgeon what he needs to do, but about football everyone is telling you what the best thing is to do.
“Florian now played off the left. But I can tell you if it is not this season it is the other season or if it is not now it is tomorrow, he will have great performances as a midfielder for Liverpool as well.
“We have five or six very good midfielders who can all play together but they need to play more together to get the best out of every single player. Florian needs time to adapt to his team-mates, team-mates need time to adapt to him.”
