Arne Slot believes Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak are ready to take the next step at Liverpool and justify their big-money moves.
Wirtz became the club’s record signing when he joined from Bayer Leverkusen for £116m last summer, before being surpassed by Isak’s £125m switch from Newcastle United.
After early adaptation struggles, Wirtz has registered seven goals and 10 assists this season, though none have come against sides currently in European qualification spots.
Liverpool still face Chelsea and Aston Villa after Sunday’s trip to rivals Manchester United.
And asked if he hopes Wirtz can improve on his record against the leading teams, Slot said: “I don’t only hope that, I am 100% sure he will.
“For me it is a coincidence, we have to play three more who are in those positions so that gives him three more chances to do this.
“The development Florian has made throughout his Liverpool career, which has only been 10 months, is so clear and obvious: 93rd minute against Crystal Palace making a duel on the sideline, winning a throw-in and then making a sprint from 40 yards and hitting the ball in the top corner, that is something I am not completely convinced he could do the same eight months ago.”
Slot added: “His improvement – and he was already an elite player – has been, for me, clear and obvious and that improvement will only continue as he is only 22 so that makes complete sense.
“Almost every player in the world is at his best when he is 25, 26 but he is already an elite player now and he can only become better and that is the beauty of the signings he did last summer, that all of them are of a certain age where we can only expect them to get better – as long as they don’t get injured.”
Liverpool have registered the most shots in the Premier League this season but have scored 23 fewer goals than at the same stage last campaign, when they went on to win the title.
Alexander Isak has started the last three games and could make it four in a row alongside Florian Wirtz for the first time.
Head coach Arne Slot believes the Swede’s improvised opener against Crystal Palace last weekend showed what his side have been missing for much of the season.
“Having Alex more and more available, having him available at his top level, would increase that even more,” said the Reds boss when asked on improving efficiency in front of goal.
“In general having players available would help becoming consistent; at the moment not playing three times in seven days helps in our consistency.
“But chance creation, converting into goals that is something we haven’t done very well throughout this whole season but one of the players we always thought could score goals for us was hardly available.
“Last week you could see it was a chance but it wasn’t the biggest chance we’ve had this season and he finished that one off really well by scoring the 1-0 and scoring a goal which is vital in football as it sets you in the right direction or if you don’t score it and concede a set-piece at the other end – which happened so many times in the first half of the season – that brings the game in a different direction.”
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