Jamie Carragher Questions Florian Wirtz's Impact at Liverpool

Jamie Carragher has laid down a stark challenge to Florian Wirtz, admitting he doubts whether Liverpool’s £115m midfielder has what it takes to truly live in the Premier League’s heavyweight division.

The former Liverpool defender, writing in his Telegraph column, questioned whether the German playmaker “possesses the tools to overcome the physical challenge” of English football – and branded the upcoming campaign a “make-or-break season” for the 21-year-old.

Wirtz arrived from Bayer Leverkusen last summer as the centrepiece of a bold rebuild, a record signing expected to reshape Liverpool’s attack and drag them into a new era. Instead, he walked into a title defence that collapsed, a team that stuttered, and a manager in Arne Slot who did not survive the season.

Liverpool slumped to fifth, 25 points behind champions Arsenal. Wirtz never truly caught fire.

There were glimpses. Touches of class, neat combinations, moments that hinted at the player who had lit up the Bundesliga. But the sustained dominance Liverpool thought they were buying never came.

Carragher did not sugarcoat it.

“When he joined Liverpool, the hope at Anfield was that Wirtz would dominate in the same manner as Kevin De Bruyne did,” he wrote. “But the German does not have the athleticism or running and shooting power of De Bruyne.

“Even at his best, Wirtz has looked ‘neat and tidy’ rather than the killer in and around the penalty box one would have expected given his fee and reputation. He has resembled a useful squad addition for about £40m rather than a game-changer who cost £115m.”

That comparison cuts to the heart of the issue. Liverpool did not just buy a creator; they thought they were getting a force of nature. Instead, Carragher sees a clever technician still searching for a way to impose himself on the most unforgiving league in the world.

Those inside the club who still back Wirtz point to the familiar argument: foreign talents often need a year to adjust to the pace, intensity and physicality of English football. Carragher acknowledged that line of defence – but quickly turned the spotlight back on the player’s tactical fit and the team’s structural problems.

Last season, Slot’s defensive frailties forced compromise. The Dutchman, under pressure to tighten up, pushed Wirtz out to the left wing rather than using him centrally as an attacking midfielder. The move blunted Liverpool and did little for the German’s rhythm or confidence.

Carragher fears the same pattern could unfold under new boss Andoni Iraola.

“If Wirtz does not have the desired impact in the early games this season, it is not difficult to foresee history repeating itself and Iraola realising he must compromise attacking romanticism for pragmatism,” he warned.

Iraola is known for his aggressive, high-energy style, built on width and directness. That philosophy may collide with Wirtz’s preference for operating between the lines.

“Given [Andoni] Iraola sets up his side with out-and-out wingers, such circumstances would raise serious doubts about Wirtz’s future,” Carragher added.

The context makes the scrutiny even harsher. Wirtz was the headline act in what looked, on paper, like a statement summer window: Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong all arrived to fanfare. Only Ekitike truly imposed himself as Liverpool limped through a fractured season and saw their title defence disintegrate.

Now comes the reset.

Liverpool open their 2026/27 Premier League campaign away at Newcastle, at St James’ Park, on Sunday 23 August at 4.30pm. It is a brutal first test, in a hostile arena, against a side that will run and press relentlessly.

For Wirtz, it is more than just an opening fixture. It is the start of a season that will decide whether he becomes the £115m heartbeat of Iraola’s Liverpool – or a luxury misfit the club never quite managed to unlock.