Florian Wirtz could leave Liverpool with unthinkable Premier League club ready for transfer

Florian Wirtz could make an extraordinary Liverpool exit after just one season at the club, with a Premier League rival keen to snap him up.

Wirtz joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen in a transfer worth an initial £107million last summer.

The Germany international failed to impress in his first season on Merseyside, registering just five goals and four assists in the league.

In an interview with TNT Sports, Wirtz admitted he'd found it tough adapting to the 'intense and physical' demands of English football.

"When I was at Leverkusen, I could have more time on the ball and turn easier," the 23-year-old admitted.

"Here you have to be so ready, with your first touch you have to be away already, because otherwise there are three people on you and smashing into you – that is also a big difference."

Liverpool supporters believed Wirtz's struggles were partly down to the system of former Reds boss, Arne Slot. A poor domestic campaign, which saw Liverpool scrape into the Champions League via fifth place, resulted in Liverpool sacking Slot last month.

Andoni Iraola's appointment could offer Wirtz a clean slate when he returns from the World Cup, although Liverpool may receive a golden opportunity to cut their losses.

Wirtz could leave Liverpool for 'huge admirers'

Per Football Insider, Chelsea and Xabi Alonso are 'huge admirers' of Wirtz as they look towards a huge summer rebuild.

The Blues failed to qualify for European football after a disastrous campaign in which they parted company with both Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior.

Alonso's appointment is a hard reset for Chelsea, who've already sold Marc Cucurella to Real Madrid. Enzo Fernandez could also depart, and should he follow Cucurella to the Santiago Bernabeu, Chelsea will test Liverpool's resolve.

Wirtz and Alonso know one another incredibly well. Alonso coached Wirtz at Leverkusen for three seasons, one of which included a Bundesliga title in 2024.

READ NEXT: Andoni Iraola handed major Liverpool blow as unexpected star 'wants to play for Real Madrid'

Jurgen Klopp knows how Liverpool can 'unlock' Wirtz

One man who is keeping the faith with Wirtz is ex-Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. He's working as a pundit for the World Cup and speaking after Germany's 2-1 win over the Ivory Coast, Klopp outlined exactly what needs to happen to get the best out of Wirtz.

Rather than expect Wirtz to do everything when picking the ball up from deep, Klopp has suggested allowing Wirtz to strut his stuff further up the pitch.

"Wirtz gets fully into rhythm when he constantly gets the ball," Klopp told Magenta TV.

"It's important to involve him because that's when Flo can feel confident & comfortable on the pitch."

"He shouldn't drop back & get the ball from his own penalty area and expect him to start making plays, we have to find moments where we can use this position, because with his positioning he creates a lot of space for the players next to him, for the full-backs & for everyone who can make runs into those spaces."