‘I truly believe that he’s now at a club that can take his game to the next level. He can win the Ballon d’Or one day, and moving to Liverpool will help him on that journey’ Bayer Leverkusen icon backs Florian Wirtz to succeed at Anfield

Florian Wirtz’s £116million transfer from Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool was an early sign of intent from the Premier League champions this summer, as the German arrived as part of a £400million spending spree that also saw the likes of Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike signed up to bolster the club’s attacking ranks.

Arne Slot’s side kicked off the 2025/26 campaign with five Premier League wins on the bounce, before entering the international break on the back of two domestic defeats and another in the Champions League.

Wirtz is yet to show the kind of form that persuaded Liverpool to spend a nine-figure outlay on him and saw FourFourTwo rank him as the planet’s best attacking midfielder, but former Leverkusen and Germany icon Jens Nowotny believes that the Reds have a potential future Ballon d’Or winner on their hands.

Jens Nowotny on why Florian Wirtz can win the Ballon d’Or

“When Xabi Alonso took over at Leverkusen, he realised he could build the team’s playing style around Florian Wirtz,” Nowotny tells FourFourTwo.

“They didn’t have to play only on the counter-attack, they could dominate possession and look for little openings, because Wirtz is very capable of finding pockets, collecting the ball in tight spaces and playing quick passes.

“Wirtz made the game a lot easier for everyone and was the most important player when Leverkusen secured their historic Double during 2023-24.

“Liverpool also play a style that suits him – speedy transitions, pacy runners in behind, but also the ability to keep the ball, push high and look for gaps. The best players can adapt to systems and Arne Slot now has one of the most intelligent young players in all of world football.”

Wirtz has made ten appearances for the Reds so far this term, with his attacking output showing just a single assist, but Nowotny is not concerned.

“It may take time for Wirtz to find his best form, but it also depends on how quickly those around him adapt to his speed of thought,” he continues. “He works extremely hard out of possession – he is a pressing machine and is very good at making interceptions.

“He is the best player I’ve seen in a long time. He’s grounded, he loves to play football and he wants to learn. I truly believe that he’s now at a club that can take his game to the next level.

“He can win the Ballon d’Or one day, and moving to Liverpool will help him on that journey.”