Bad news for Wirtz: Liverpool have made calls to sign “world-class” PL star
da dobrowin： Arne Slot has received his fair share of flak this season. And it has been fair. But the Liverpool head coach has wrought subtle changes to his struggling team in recent weeks, and there’s a sense that Liverpool are on the mend.
da lvbet： The Reds had lost six of seven Premier League matches before arresting their slide with a win at West Ham United, and from that point, there have been eight points claimed from 12, four matches undefeated and with a win at San Siro against Inter Milan in the Champions League too.
This crop of players have it within them to turn things around, battling for a place in the top four (or five) and challenging for gold in the Champions League and the FA Cup too.
But FSG and sporting director Richard Hughes are aware that reinforcements could be well-received down Anfield Road, and plans have been drawn.
Liverpool make phone call to sign Premier League star
Liverpool spent big last summer. In fact, it was a record-breaking spending spree that had never been seen before in England. But Liverpool have yet to bring it all together, with Slot facing intense scrutiny for his side’s staggering collapse.
Defensively, it hasn’t been great, but neither have the Reds looked cohesive and dangerous as a unit up top. The likes of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz have flattered to deceive.
The balance isn’t quite right, and much of that stems from the decision not to directly replace Luis Diaz, who left for Bayern Munich in August.
Well, Antoine Semenyo could change that, with the Bournemouth forward mooted to leave the Vitality Stadium this January, with a £65m release clause in his contract.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Hughes has been making calls to Bournemouth and the player’s representatives since November. The interest is real, though Mohamed Salah’s uncertain future will play a part in where the Ghanaian is headed.
Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur are both keen themselves, so Liverpool will need to act with speed.
Why Semenyo could be bad news for Wirtz
Liverpool are champions of the Premier League, but this version of Slot’s squad pales in comparison to last year’s robust and confident lot.
The 25-year-old Semenyo’s energy and pace would play a part in putting the tactical issues to rights, having been hailed by pundit Chris Waddle as being “the best winger in the country” after scoring seven goals and providing three assists in the Premier League this season.
This is a far cry from Wirtz’s woes, with the German playmaker clearly an immense talent but unable to bring it all together, wading upstream in an uncertain and unfamiliar Liverpool system. Experience within England’s top flight really is vital.
Wirtz, 22, joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for £116m this summer, briefly the British-record player. It’s fair to say he’s struggled, yet to score in any competition and has been made a scapegoat of Liverpool’s struggles throughout the campaign. Even so, he’s a brilliant talent, and one the club must persist with.
With Dominik Szoboszlai cut and dried as Liverpool’s standout player this season, the first name on the teamsheet, Semenyo’s arrival could jeopardise Wirtz’s own position in the line-up, but that might be something FSG have to green-light all the same if Slot is to salvage something from this season.
It’s important to remember that Semenyo and Wirtz are different players. Semenyo is a powerful touchline winger with a goalscoring twist, “world-class” in his attacking consistency, according to teammate Justin Kluivert, whereas the German international is a playmaker, at his best when finding pockets of space in attacking midfield, creating chances and stretching lines.
But there is still something to be taken from the gulf in output and sharpness this season.
Premier League 25/26 – Wirtz vs Semenyo
Stats (* per game)
Wirtz
Semenyo
Matches (starts)
15 (11)
15 (15)
Goals
0
7
Assists
0
3
Shots (on target)*
1.2 (0.3)
2.3 (1.3)
Big chances missed
3
5
Accurate passes*
28.3 (83%)
19.3 (77%)
Chances created*
1.7
1.3
Dribbles*
0.9
1.6
Ball recoveries*
3.2
4.9
Tackles*
1.1
1.6
Duels won*
3.0
6.6
Data via Sofascore
Wirtz’s wait to break his duck is concerning, for sure, but so is the fact that he’s not creating at an elite rate, and nor is he finding significant success in the duel.
The rising star will come good. He is too talented and has proven himself in Germany and on the continent. But Liverpool need results now, and if Semenyo were to be added to the mix, Slot may find himself placing Wirtz on the bench more than a few times over the latter half of the season.
For a player bereft of confidence who is desperate to kick on, some may say a withdrawal from the spotlight could prove a good thing, but it’s a big concern, and hard to see how the signing of Semenyo wouldn’t threaten to be bad news for Wirtz.
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