Liverpool transfer news: Florian Wirtz sent January window warning by Reds Champions League winner

Florian Wirtz joined Liverpool last summer for an initial fee of £100m, as the Reds beat out fierce competition in the shape of Bayern Munich to sign the German international.

While there was much excitement within the fanbase after the announcement of the 23-year-old, it is safe to say he has struggled since making the move to Anfield.

Wirtz appears not to have adapted to the physicality of the Premier League and has struggled to fit into the Liverpool team, as Arne Slot did not appear to know where to deploy him last season.

New manager Andoni Iraola has used him as a number 10 in Liverpool’s opening two fixtures of the season, but he struggled against Newcastle United in the club’s opener.

Wirtz’s performance against Nottingham Forest in the Reds’ first match at Anfield this season and it could give some encouragement to fans, as he got an assist for Liverpool’s second equaliser and had a first-half effort ruled out for offside.

As the 2024 Bundesliga champion continues to struggle, there is a belief that if he does not deliver this season, then Liverpool will have to cut their losses and sell the attacker and now Didi Hamann has set a deadline for him to find his feet or suffer this fate.

Didi Hamann’s deadline for Florian Wirtz to start performing

The World Cup runner-up has spoken exclusively to Sports Mole through Betinia NJ about the future of Wirtz at Liverpool, believing he must hit form incredibly soon or risk being sold in January or next summer.

Hamann said: “He needs to start influencing games going forward. And I think there's probably been a handful of games last season where he did that. He's got to do that when he plays six games a month; he's got to do it four or five times. But so far he hasn't done it. And I'm not too sure he will.

“As I said, it's the same team; it's pretty much the same players. Obviously, having [Bradley] Barcola in the team will help him because I think he relies on players, quick players, because he's got an eye for a pass; he's got fantastic vision. I think it will help him. But I'm not sure it will be enough.

“If he doesn't start performing now until the international break in mid-September, I think we will have a lot of discussion about whether it's the right club for him, whether the club made the right decision. And you say next summer, the club can't wait forever. If he doesn't start performing, they've got to find a solution.

“And maybe even in winter, we'll see something, because it's hard to watch at times, because you know how good he is. Let's hope it gets better, but I've got my doubts.”

Florian Wirtz’s career before Liverpool

The German international spent the majority of his youth career at FC Koln before joining Bayer Leverkusen, and after impressing at under-17 level, he made his debut for Die Werkself in May 2020.

Wirtz would feature for Bayer Leverkusen across seven seasons, becoming one of the most exciting prospects in the Bundesliga.

His star would fully rise in the division in the 2023-24 campaign as he helped the club lift its first-ever Bundesliga title under Xabi Alonso.

This season would be an incredible success as they also lifted the DFB-Pokal and DFL-Supercup, and the club went unbeaten across the domestic campaign before losing the final of the Europa League to Atalanta.

Wirtz was arguably the lynchpin of the team as he scored 18 goals across 49 games in all competitions, bringing much interest from clubs around Europe aiming to acquire his signature.

The 23-year-old opted to remain at the German side for one more season, along with Alonso, as they aimed to defend their Bundesliga title and compete in the Champions League.