Florian Wirtz: Liverpool boss Arne Slot hails “better than expected” record signing ahead of Bournemouth Premier League opener

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has heaped praise on the club’s record signing Florian Wirtz ahead of Friday’s Premier League opening fixture at home to Bournemouth.

Slot steered the Reds to the title in impressive fashion in his debut campaign at Anfield last season and the Dutchman has since been backed heavily by the club’s owners in the transfer market, with over £250m spent on new signings this summer.

The standout addition at Liverpool is Germany international Wirtz, who has arrived on Merseyside from Bayer Leverkusen for a fee which is set to rise from £100m to a British-record £116m with add-ons.

Wirtz established himself as one Europe’s best attacking midfielders during his time at Leverkusen, where he was named Bundesliga Player of the Year in 2023-24 after playing an integral role in the club’s 'Invincibles' title-winning campaign.

The 22-year-old contributed with 57 goals and 65 assists in 197 appearances across all competitions for Leverkusen, including 16 goals and 15 assists in 45 games last season, and it took him just four minutes to register his first assist on his competitive debut for Liverpool in last weekend’s Community Shield loss to Crystal Palace.

“Mentally strong” Wirtz “not distracted” by club-record transfer fee

Wirtz is expected to play a key role under Slot in the new campaign and the Liverpool boss has already been dazzled by the playmaker’s quality since arriving at Anfield.

Speaking at a pre-match press conference on Thursday ahead of Liverpool’s top-flight opener against Bournemouth, Slot said: “[Wirtz] might be young, but he’s already won a lot. Factually, yes, he’s a young player - but with the experience he has, I don’t see him that way.

“He’s won the league in Germany, won the cup, and played for his country numerous times. Beyond that, his mentality might be his biggest strength, and that says a lot.

“When you watch him play, you think, ‘Are you serious?’- he’s so creative. He’s mentally strong, not distracted by a transfer fee or anything else.

"Good players always find a way to perform in good teams, and he’s a good player in a good team. His adjustment has gone well - better than expected, and we expected a lot.”

Slot aware of ‘challenges’ facing Liverpool in new season

Liverpool are regarded by many as the favourites to win the Premier League title for a second successive year, and although Slot has insisted that his team is “ready to start” their title defence, he has also acknowledged that the Reds will face plenty of challenges throughout the new season.

“There have been ups and downs, though the lows haven’t been too low. Still, there’s a key area for us to improve - which is normal,” Slot told reporters.

"Everyone has room for growth in pre-season, especially when you’ve lost five or six players who played a lot of minutes last season.

"We’ve brought in four new ones, so there’s a bit of adaptation going on, but we’re definitely ready to start.”

Slot added: "Every pre-season, every season has it challenges. This season, the challenge is we’ve lost many starters, and we have brought in very good intelligent players.

"The challenge is not always with yourself but with the teams you face. We start with Bournemouth, who were probably the most intense team in the league last season in terms of running and playing style. Afterwards is Newcastle and Arsenal, so that sums up this league and the challenge we have."

Meanwhile, Slot has also delivered the latest update on Liverpool’s pursuit of Giovanni Leoni and has responded to speculation linking the Reds with fellow centre-back Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace.