Jurgen Klopp could still do Liverpool a massive favour

Florian Wirtz has divided opinion since he arrived in Merseyside 18 months ago, with many supporters and pundits questioning the German’s ability.

After arriving for a potential £115 million expectations were always going to be high, and the 23-year-old has only shown glimpses of the quality seen at Bayer Leverkusen.

Last season saw several major injuries hit the club, and the coaching of Arne Slot was clearly a big enough concern for the board to relieve him of his duties in the summer, but this season excuses are running out for Wirtz.

Not all hope is lost for Wirtz though, and Jurgen Klopp could be the key to unlocking the young star’s potential.

Jurgen Klopp could be the answer for Florian Wirtz

As the international break begins, Wirtz is about to play under legendary Liverpool manager Klopp for the first time for the German national team.

Klopp knows Liverpool about as well as anybody, and spending two weeks training under the former Anfield boss could be exactly what Wirtz needs to kickstart his season in Merseyside.

One of the many great qualities Klopp utilised at Liverpool was his ability to ease the pressure on his players, allowing them to play to their full potential regardless of criticism.

As pointed out by James Pearce writing for The Athletic, Wirtz is the type of player who could benefit from this aspect of Klopp’s management.

“Liverpool will be hoping that the Klopp effect rubs off on Florian Wirtz during this international break,” Pearce wrote.

“[Klopp] is no stranger to helping high-profile stars deal with unwanted and relentless scrutiny. There are parallels between what Wirtz is facing now and all the brickbats aimed at Trent Alexander-Arnold during his Liverpool career.”

Two weeks with Klopp won’t be enough to solve all of Wirtz’s issues, but a mentality shift and the ability to shrug off criticism and focus solely on delivering on the pitch could go a long way towards the German being better received by the Anfield faithful.

Klopp has already done so much for the Reds, but getting Wirtz firing could be another massive favour for the German’s former club.