Liverpool in the race for new Roberto Firmino with trait that will delight Arne Slot

Liverpool in the race for new Roberto Firmino with trait that will delight Arne Slot

A closer look at where Florian Wirtz could fit it at Liverpool - if the Premier League champions can bring him to Anfield

Roberto Firmino claps the fans during his last game for Liverpool (Image: Sean Ryan/REX/Shutterstock )

If Liverpool's interest in Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz could herald a departure from a tried-and-tested recruitment model at Anfield, it may also lead to a tactical shift from Arne Slot.

The Premier League champions have sounded out Wirtz and his entourage and made it known that they would be interested in bringing him to Anfield should the Germany international decide that he wants to leave Leverkusen for the bright lights of English football.

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As one of the most talented youngsters in European football, it is no surprise to learn that it is not just Liverpool who are keeping tabs on Wirtz's next career choice, with Bayern Munich and Manchester City also particularly keen.

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There is an expectation at Anfield that the 22-year-old will remain in his homeland by either staying at Bayer or moving to Munich but the Reds have made it known to Wirtz and his family - his father, Hans, serves as his agent - that they are keen should he fancy aswitch to the Premier League.

Before the recent defeat at Chelsea, Slot spoke about how winning the title with four games to spare allowed more time and space to devote to the summer's transfer activities, which was important given the players on the shortlists will be in demand.

“(Being champions) definitely helps, I think, to attract new players as well," Slot said. "Because mostly the players that we want to have, we are not the only clubs who think they are good players, so these players have probably more options.

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"And then it helps maybe for them to see that the way we do things over here is special, I think you can say that.

"In the background, of course I did (plan for next season) already a little bit, because it's not like after we won the league, that's the first time Richard (Hughes, sporting director) called me and said: 'Okay, these are the players we are interested in!'”

A valuation of around £125m for the Leverkusen star means it would be a major statement by the champions if they are to bring him to Anfield.

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As things stand, we are a long way before that comes to fruition with the Wirtz family said to be asking for time and patience as the attacking midfielder figures out his plans for next season.

Liverpool's need for a No.9 has become more glaring as the season has gone on. Darwin Nunez has started just one Premier League game in 2025 - at home to rock-bottom and now relegated Southampton in March - while Diogo Jota has struggled since an upper body injury against Chelsea way back in October.

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Between them, the centre-forwards have registered just 11 goals in the league and Nunez in particular has looked increasingly on the periphery as the campaign has gone on.

An exit for either player this summer surely ramps up the need for a striker - but could Wirtz offer something of an alternative to that pursuit?

The creative Germany international perhaps best operates off the frontman in a classic No.10 style but he can also perform in wider areas. With Slot often preferring Dominik Szoboszlai's engine and power as the most advanced midfielder, Wirtz would represent a contrast in styles to the Hungarian if they became team-mates.

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But is there a world where Slot deploys Wirtz as a more traditional centre-forward in the 'false 9' role that was made famous at Anfield by the great Roberto Firmino?

At the price point Wirtz is being valued at, adding a big-money striker to the ranks on top feels like it would be difficult, particularly with Jeremie Frimpong closing in on a £30m move from Leverkusen himself and the Reds still expected to look at the left side of their defence.

Since the start of last season, Wirtz has 23 assists, which is a Bundesliga high, while he has also registered 21 goals. What will delight a coach like Slot, though, is the fact that he has won possession a league-high 71 times in the final third since the beginning of last term, when Leverkusen won a Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double.

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That is a trait that was very much textbook Firmino and was a vital tactic in helping the club to so much success during the Brazilian's finest years under Jurgen Klopp.

As a technically sublime footballer with his best years ahead of him, a redeployment of Wirtz could see him flourish at a time when the more traditional No.9s are not as plentiful across European football as Slot might like them to be.

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