Jurgen Klopp raises major question over Liverpool's £116m move for Florian Wirtz - and a challenge for Arne Slot

Jurgen Klopp, the former Liverpool manager, has expressed his support for Liverpool's signing of German star Florian Wirtz but emphasized that the player's success hinges on resolving one major uncertainty. Klopp stated that Wirtz's time at the club will be defined by the answer to the question of where he will fit into the team's system.

Wirtz completed a £100 million transfer from Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool in June, signing a five-year contract that could potentially rise to £116 million with add-ons. Despite other new signings featuring in Liverpool's first pre-season match against Preston, a 3-1 win, Wirtz was excluded from the squad. This omission was confirmed as part of a deliberate fitness management strategy.

The core issue, as highlighted by Klopp, revolves around where manager Arne Slot intends to deploy Wirtz. Klopp explicitly questioned, "where will Wirtz fit in?" and noted, "Yes (he will establish himself), although of course I don't know exactly which position Arne has in mind for Florian." Slot faces a decision on Wirtz's role, with multiple tactical options available including playing him as an attacking midfielder, a false nine, a winger, or in a deeper midfield position.