Liverpool manager Arne Slot believes his new £116million signing Florian Wirtz has nothing to prove and has given him one piece of advice on how to get to the level of Reds talisman Mohamed Salah – plus Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Wirtz signed from Bayer Leverkusen in June for what could rise to a British transfer record, having registered 31 goal involvements last season and 38 the year before.
And his new boss Slot says staying fit and looking after his body is what will separate him from being a good player to one of the all-time greats of the Premier League.
Asked if the German will take Liverpool to another level, Slot said: ‘That is something I can only answer in the upcoming years. Everything we expect is very positive but between expecting and realising something is different.
‘Why are Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and Mo Salah so highly regarded? Because they are always fit. Every single game they are fit and that is something that Florian first has to show in a league like ours. If he is able to stay fit then our fans will see great moments.’
Wirtz is expected to be the fulcrum of Liverpool’s side from a No 10 role this season and has been combining well with Salah in pre-season. He is keen on the sports science aspect of the game and has had just one long-term injury in his career.
Florian Wirtz is gearing up for his Premier League debut when the season gets underway at Anfield on Friday
Arne Slot says staying fit and looking after his body will be key to the German’s success in England
Slot argued one of the reasons Liverpool talesman Mo Salah is so highly regarded is because he’s always fit
‘He is a different profile to what we have,’ Slot added. ‘He might be a bit similar to Harvey (Elliott). But Harvey didn’t play that much. He is a different profile to (the other midfielders). That is what we wanted – to bring a different profile in rather than adding something that we already had.
‘And then it is very positive that we could bring in such a highly regarded player but I think Liverpool has always been able to bring in these kinds of players.’
Slot also reckons that the best attribute of Wirtz, 22, is his mentality.
‘He might be young but he has already won a lot,’ said the boss. ‘Factually we can see him as a young player but in terms of his experience, he is not. He won the league and cup in Germany, and played for his country numerous times.
‘And his mentality is maybe his biggest strength. You might think, “Hmm, are you serious, have you seen how creative he is?”. He does not get distracted at all by the transfer fee. Good players always find a way to play well.’