Slot hopes Wirtz can be the 'destroyer' in chief

HAVING wrenched the title from Manchester City’s grasp last season, Liverpool will now hope their latest visit to the Etihad can prove the worth of victory over their Premier League rivals in the transfer market this summer.

- By IAN DOYLE Chief LFC Writer

Both clubs were chasing the signature of Florian Wirtz until Reds boss Arne Slot persuaded the 22-year-old attacking midfielder to make a £116million move from Bayer Leverkusen to Anfield.

The rewards, though, have been slow to materialise with Wirtz taking time to adapt to a much-changed team, prompting former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger to this week claim the Germany international’s arrival had “destroyed” Liverpool's title-winning midfield.

But despite starting the former Leverkusen hero on the left wing in Tuesday's impressive Champions League win over Real Madrid, Slot is in no doubt the player will eventually succeed in his preferred midfield role.

“Everyone has a right to his own opinion and many of them have,’ said the Reds boss of Wenger's comments.

“If I need open-heart surgery, I am not going to tell the surgeon what he needs to do, but about football everyone is telling you what the best thing is to do.

“Florian now played off the left. But I can tell you if it is not this season it is the other season or if it is not now it is tomorrow, he will have great performances as a midfielder for Liverpool as well.

“We have five or six very good midfielders who can all play together but they need to play more together to get the best out of every single player. ‘Florian needs time to adapt to his teammates, teammates need time to adapt to him.”