Florian Wirtz made his Liverpool debut on Saturday, and a highlight reel of his performance has sparked plenty of online discussion.
The German international became Liverpool’s record signing earlier this summer, arriving from Bayer Leverkusen in a blockbuster £116 million deal that signaled the Premier League champions’ serious ambitions. Wirtz, who signed a contract running until 2030, first appeared in a behind-closed-doors friendly win over Stoke City at the AXA Training Centre—his showing in the highlights left fans eager for more.
He continued his pre-season integration in a friendly against AC Milan in Hong Kong, part of Liverpool’s two-match tour of Asia. Despite stepping up their preparations for the new campaign, the Reds suffered a 4-2 defeat. Goals from Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo weren’t enough to overcome efforts from Rafael Leao, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and a brace from Noah Okafor for Milan.
With Liverpool’s £79 million signing Hugo Ekitike not yet ready to feature, and Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz absent from the squad, Wirtz was deployed as a false nine. The 22-year-old played the first half, showing glimpses of his trademark creativity—including a sharp 91% passing accuracy and 1 successful dribble from 2 attempts—but failed to record a goal or assist.
His performance drew mixed reactions online. While some fans were thrilled—one on X saying, “Florian Wirtz, I’m standing up and applauding”—others were less convinced. Comments ranged from “Is this a fail comp?” to “This comp was made to make him look good and I see nothing impressive.” Still, others appreciated subtler aspects of his game, with one fan noting, “The quality of his first touch is mad. Literally never messes it up and always sets himself up for the next action.”
Wirtz has already impressed teammates, with Ryan Gravenberch praising his talent in training. “I think everyone knows Florian,” said the Dutch midfielder. “He’s a really good player—technical, really good vision. I’m really happy that he is here, and I can’t wait for the season to start and to play with him.”
Liverpool continue their pre-season schedule on Wednesday with a match against Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan.
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