Florian Wirtz (foto: Getty Images)
Jamie Carragher has questioned Florian Wirtz's role at Liverpool and fears the club's €480m spending spree could become one of the worst transfer windows in Premier League history.
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Jamie Carragher has delivered a brutal assessment of Florian Wirtz, questioning whether Liverpool will ever get value from their €125 million investment in the German international.
Liverpool's 2-2 draw against Newcastle United brought the debate surrounding Wirtz back into focus. The 23-year-old lasted around an hour before being substituted, with Carragher left questioning where he fits into Andoni Iraola's system.
For Carragher, this is no longer simply about waiting for Wirtz to adapt to English football. He believes Liverpool have a structural problem that has remained unresolved since the German arrived at Anfield.
'I don't see where he fits in this team at all'
Wirtz joined Liverpool last summer for approximately €125m following his outstanding performances in Germany.
His first season produced seven goals and ten assists, but those numbers did not satisfy expectations surrounding one of the most expensive signings in Premier League history.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Carragher dismissed the suggestion that Wirtz simply needs more time.
"What to do with Wirtz? I reject the story that players need a year to adapt to the Premier League as a myth. When I hear he has to play as a number 10, it means Szoboszlai has to play in central midfield, and he's not that kind of midfielder."
Carragher believes the problem has become impossible for Iraola to ignore.
"I thought we'd be talking about it in six weeks, but it's already relevant. I don't see where he fits in this team at all. I look at it all and wonder what Iraola is going to do. He can't go on like this. It's not working, and it didn't work last season."
Carragher: Wirtz is worth €60m or €70m
The former Liverpool defender then went further, questioning whether Wirtz possesses the quality expected from a €125m footballer.
Carragher does not believe Liverpool are watching a world-class player struggling badly for form. He fears what supporters have seen over the past year represents Wirtz's true level.
"I think what we've seen for a year is simply what he is. He's a neat, correct footballer with a nice touch, but he's not a €125m player. He's probably a €60m or €70m player."
That represents a serious concern for Liverpool after making Wirtz one of the centrepieces of their expensive rebuild.
Carragher believes the German might operate more effectively from a slightly deeper position towards the left, similar to his role with Germany, but sees another problem there.
Iraola demands width and energy from his wide players, leaving Wirtz without an obvious natural position.
Liverpool's midfield doesn't work for Carragher
Wirtz is not the only player Carragher believes is responsible for Liverpool's lack of balance.
He also questioned whether a midfield containing Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wirtz is sustainable.
"All three are thinking about attacking. That's why it can't work."
The concern is that Liverpool possess plenty of technical quality but lack the defensive structure required to control Premier League matches.
That leaves Iraola facing an important decision early in his Liverpool reign. Finding Wirtz's best position might require changing the roles of several other players around him.
Was Liverpool's €480m spending spree a historic mistake?
Carragher's concerns extend far beyond Wirtz.
Liverpool spent approximately €480m during their extraordinary transfer window last summer, assembling a squad expected to build on the club's title-winning campaign under Arne Slot.
Alongside Wirtz, Liverpool spent around €145m on Alexander Isak and €90m on Hugo Ekitike, while Miloš Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Giorgi Mamardashvili and Giovanni Leoni were among the other arrivals.
The enormous investment failed to produce the expected results.
Liverpool finished fifth in the Premier League, while Slot ultimately lost his job and was replaced by Iraola.
Carragher now fears the consequences of those decisions might last considerably longer than one disappointing season.
"I fear that transfer window could set Liverpool back a year or two. If things don't change in the next two or three months, it could be seen as perhaps the worst transfer window in Premier League history."
He also dismissed Liverpool's chances of immediately returning to the top of English football.
"I don't think Liverpool will be fighting for the title this year. Liverpool are in transition."
For Wirtz, the pressure is now enormous. One year after his €125m arrival, the debate is no longer about when Liverpool will see the best version of him. Carragher is openly questioning whether that version exists at all.