'I wouldn't have signed him' – Expert on Andoni Iraola's verdict to Liverpool owners about big name
Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola is stuck between a rock and a hard place in attempting to coax Florian Wirtz into consistent form.
That is the opinion of experienced former Tottenham, Everton and Aston Villa scout, Bryan King, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.
The 23-year-old, who arrived at Anfield last summer in a deal worth up to £116million, has struggled to adapt to English football.
Wirtz did not score his first Premier League goal until the end of December last year, and often appears a passenger for Liverpool.
Tuesday’s Carabao Cup clash with Tottenham saw the German dropped from the squad entirely, with Iraola’s team proceeding to win 3-1.
It is hoped that the former Bournemouth manager can be the one to unlock Wirtz, but there appears to be some way to go on that front.
Florian Wirtz and girlfriend Aaliyah Cloßen Mohamed watching the game from the stands pic.twitter.com/0le3mI3x7w
— Goaldata – Liverpool Zone (@LiverpoolZNE) September 15, 2026
Florian Wirtz signing was a ‘mistake’
Wirtz will likely come back into the Liverpool team for Sunday’s clash away at Bournemouth, but his form remains a concern.
Should Iraola not manage to raise consistency out of him, his future at Anfield will face serious doubts.
“These are the mistakes that happen in football. Both ends of the calendar. You know, people miss young players. People buy players for huge amounts of money,” King told Football Insider.
“Jesus Christ, how many times have you heard in the last 30, 40 years that, oh, he’s got that big transfer figure around his neck and he can’t seem to be relaxing. Look at Ian Rush when he went to Italy. The moment he came back, it’s Ian Rush again, isn’t it?
“It’s the environment you’re in. If you feel as though you’re part of it, it’s easy to try and play. But I don’t think this boy, at this moment in time [does.]
“He’s got a manager who didn’t pay the money for him, so, it isn’t the manager’s choice, if you know what I mean. So, you know, it’s a simple situation.
“New manager comes in, the board are going to say, ‘hang on a minute, we’ve got a £116m player, why’s he not playing?’ He’ll turn and say, ‘well, I don’t think he’s good enough. I wouldn’t have signed him.’ And that’s also my opinion.”
Wirtz sets Liverpool goal
For all of the concern surrounding Wirtz, there is clearly still a massively talented player there.
He scored 16 goals and provided 14 assists across all competitions in his final season in Germany, and is capable of producing those numbers again.
“It’s very simple. I think that’s why I came here, because I want to achieve something with the club,” Wirtz said in August.
“Liverpool has always won titles or at least played for titles, and yes, we want to get back there and I want to make my contribution to that.”
