Florian Wirtz profile: Iraola backs Liverpool's record signing to find form

This Florian Wirtz profile looks at a player still searching for his best form in England. In October 2026 the German playmaker is in his second season at Liverpool, now coached by Andoni Iraola, who is using him as an attacking midfielder. The numbers so far are thin, and the criticism has been loud enough that Iraola publicly defended him in September. The latest news, though, is more encouraging: an assist in a big Champions League away win and a goal for Germany suggest the gap between his reputation and his output may be starting to close.

Florian Wirtz latest news: Iraola's public backing

On 18 September 2026, Iraola responded directly to questions about Wirtz's form. According to beIN Sports, the Liverpool coach said he rates the player highly and that Wirtz helps the team in many areas beyond goals and assists. The same report pointed out that, at that stage, Wirtz had created nine chances, a figure bettered in the squad only by Dominik Szoboszlai (16) and Cody Gakpo (10).

That defence matters because Wirtz arrived with a heavy price tag. Liverpool signed him from Bayer Leverkusen on 20 June 2025 for a club-record fee, reported at around £100m to £116m including add-ons. Expectations of a player bought for that kind of money are always going to be measured in goals and assists, and Iraola's message was that those numbers do not tell the whole story.

Wirtz's 2026-27 season so far

FotMob lists Wirtz with no goals and one assist in six Premier League starts, a total of 469 minutes, up to mid-October. The recent run has been mixed:

• 1 October 2026: scored for Germany in a 2-0 Nations League win over Serbia.
• 11 October 2026: played 66 minutes of Liverpool's 3-0 Premier League defeat to Manchester City.
• 14 October 2026: provided an assist in a 6-3 Champions League win away to LASK.

The defeat to City was a low point for the whole team, but the response in Austria three days later was strong, and Wirtz was involved. His next chance to build momentum comes at home to Brentford in the Premier League on 17 October 2026.

Role and playing style

Wirtz is a creative attacking midfielder. His strengths are well known from his Leverkusen years: close control in tight spaces, quick changes of direction, and the vision to play the final pass. He likes to receive the ball between the opposition's midfield and defence, turn, and either carry it forward or find a runner.

At Leverkusen he was the focal point of a team built around possession and quick combinations. At Liverpool, the challenge has been to adapt that game to the speed and physicality of the Premier League. Iraola's comments suggest the coaching staff value the work he does that does not always show up in the main statistics, such as creating chances, linking play and helping the team keep the ball in dangerous areas.

The question for the rest of the season is whether he can add more end product to that. His chance creation is already among the best in the squad; the goals and assists that made him so expensive are the next step.

Career path: from Köln to Leverkusen to Anfield

Wirtz came through the youth system at 1. FC Köln, where he spent ten years from 2010 to 2020, before moving to Bayer Leverkusen. His rise there was fast. He made his first-team debut aged 17 on 18 May 2020 against Werder Bremen, and on 6 June 2020 he scored against Bayern Munich, becoming at the time the youngest scorer in Bundesliga history at 17 years and 34 days.

His progress was interrupted on 13 March 2022, when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament and missed the rest of the 2021-22 season. He came back to become the key creative player in the most successful season in Leverkusen's history.

Honours and records

The 2023-24 season under Xabi Alonso is the high point of Wirtz's career so far. Leverkusen went unbeaten domestically and won the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double. Wirtz clinched the league title himself with a hat-trick in the 5-0 win over Werder Bremen on 14 April 2024.

• Bundesliga: 2023-24
• DFB-Pokal: 2023-24
• Bundesliga Player of the Season: 2023-24
• Record: youngest Bundesliga scorer at the time (17 years, 34 days, June 2020)
• Record: youngest German to score at a European Championship (Euro 2024)

International career with Germany

Wirtz has become a regular for Germany. He scored the first goal of Euro 2024, against Scotland, and in doing so became the youngest German to score at a European Championship. He was named in Germany's 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup, announced on 21 May 2026.

He has kept contributing since. His goal in the 2-0 Nations League win over Serbia on 1 October 2026 was a welcome boost at a time when his club form was under scrutiny. Wikipedia lists him with 48 caps and 12 goals as of 4 October 2026.

What's next for Florian Wirtz

There has been some transfer talk. Spanish outlet Fichajes.net reported on 5 October 2026 that Barcelona are monitoring his situation, but the same outlet said recent reporting points to him staying at Liverpool. That is a report, not a sign of any move, and his contract runs until June 2030 according to FotMob.

In the short term, the Brentford game is another chance for Wirtz to turn chances created into goals and assists. With Iraola firmly behind him, the platform is there. Follow Liverpool's fixtures and the latest Wirtz news on our matches page.