Jurgen Klopp has leapt to the defence of Florian Wirtz following criticism of the midfielder’s slow start to life at Liverpool, describing him as a “once-in-a-century talent.”
Wirtz joined the Reds from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer for a then-record fee of £116million.
However, the 22-year-old has endured an underwhelming beginning to his Anfield career, failing to register a goal or assist in his first seven appearances.
He was left out of the starting line-up by Arne Slot for the Premier League champions’ most recent outing, a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea, coming on as a second-half substitute.
The German playmaker has come under fire from some fans and pundits for his early performances, but Klopp is adamant his compatriot will soon rediscover his best form on Merseyside.
Liverpool opened the season with six straight wins but have since hit a rough patch, suffering consecutive last-minute Premier League defeats to Crystal Palace and Chelsea, as well as a Champions League loss to Galatasaray.
Despite Wirtz’s struggles, Klopp remains confident in his ability
Speaking to RTL and n-tv whilst watching a padel tournament in Mallorca (as per Goal), Klopp said: “I don’t have to worry about Florian Wirtz because his quality is so outstanding.
“Of course, everything is fine, and everyone knows that. The discussion is certainly being blown out of proportion.
“Liverpool have just lost three games in a row – it’s unusual for something like that to happen after such a long time. But it’s also normal in life.
“That’s why these things are discussed. I’ve been in the middle of such discussions long enough now, and I can tell you: nothing could interest people less than the public discussions that are taking place there. So it doesn’t matter, and everything will be fine.
Klopp added: “[Wirtz has] a stable environment at Liverpool, and the club is great in moments like these. If anyone’s worried, you don’t have to! You can stop.”
Read more: Julian Nagelsmann defends Florian Wirtz and backs him to shine at Liverpool
