Wirtz debate rumbles on as Liverpool eye upturn in form
Florian Wirtz remains the hot topic around Liverpool, with his recent upturn in form sparking fresh debate about his role, his future and how the club should handle him.
Sky Sports highlights that Wirtz has now "contributed a goal or an assist in Liverpool's last three games, all wins", and says his display at Brentford was "one of his most impressive" since joining (Sky Sports) (Sky Sports). However, the same outlet stresses that Andoni Iraola "still needs more" from the £116m playmaker as Liverpool prepare for a trio of big home games (Sky Sports) (Sky Sports).
Elsewhere, the mood around Wirtz is more mixed. Liverpool.com reports that the midfielder "continues to split the Liverpool fanbase over his ability and place in the team long-term", noting that a former player has weighed in on whether he should stay or leave (Liverpool.com). That piece appears within a wider transfer round-up from the same outlet, which also touches on rival interest in Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool.com).
On the managerial side, the Liverpool Echo reports that Iraola has given "strong backing" to Wirtz despite recent criticism, with the manager making clear that such scrutiny "doesn't do him any favours" (Liverpool Echo). The Echo adds that Iraola also praised what he has seen from Rio Ngumoha in the same discussion (Liverpool Echo).
Adding an external voice to the story, This Is Anfield reports that a Bayern Munich chief has "attacked" Liverpool over their handling of Wirtz, while also ruling out any transfer move for the player (This Is Anfield). This suggests the Wirtz talk extends beyond Anfield, with figures at his former club also weighing in publicly.
Taken together, the outlets broadly agree that Wirtz is in better form and influencing games positively, but there remains a live debate - from fans, pundits and even rival club officials - about his long-term fit and future at Liverpool, even as Iraola moves to shield him from outside noise.
Written with the help of AI, using the headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.