Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has drawn a comparison between Philippe Coutinho and 2025 summer signing Florian Wirtz.
Speaking on The Overlap, Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard urged the club to show patience with Florian Wirtz, adding urgency to a £116 million signing struggling to justify his fee. Drawing a comparison to Philippe Coutinho’s rise at Anfield, Gerrard acknowledged a sale could become necessary if performances fail to improve by season’s end.
Wirtz joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2025 for a massive fee but has struggled to justify the substantial investment. He has recorded seven goals and 12 assists in 57 appearances overall. This season, he has managed just two assists in eight games.
Gerrard believes Liverpool should give the German international more time to adapt to English football. The former Reds captain acknowledged Wirtz’s shortcomings but insisted that his underlying talent remains unquestionable.
“I’m not denying that he’s underperforming and that we should have seen an awful lot more in terms of the price tag and what have you, but I just think that there’s a chance, and it’s happened previously, where players can turn it round,” Gerrard said.
“I think he’s got the talent to turn it round. His confidence is shot at Liverpool at the moment.”
Gerrard pointed to Wirtz’s decision-making and execution as signs of a player struggling with confidence, rather than a lack of ability. He highlighted the contrast between Wirtz’s performances for Liverpool and Germany, where the midfielder appears considerably more comfortable.
“You can see it when you watch him live. He’s giving the ball away, possession cheaply—passes he would normally complete. I think at times he’s maybe not shown for the ball when normally he’s full of confidence. I watch him for Germany, a different player, completely different player.
He just seems to be playing with his shoulders back, different energy, getting on the ball. He’s turning in pockets of space. He’s actually executing in the final third; his passing and positioning are sharper. He is getting assists, he is getting goals.”
Gerrard believes Wirtz can turn things around
Gerrard stressed that adapting to Liverpool and the Premier League is particularly challenging for a young player carrying such a significant price tag. However, he acknowledged that Liverpool cannot wait indefinitely for Wirtz to deliver.
Asked by Roy Keane whether there should be a deadline for the midfielder, he replied, “I would say so. At the end of the season, if the form’s still the same and he’s underperforming and not delivering come the end of the season, and he has had two seasons, I think it’s a bit different then.”
Drawing a parallel with Coutinho, who rose to prominence after his early struggles in Spain, Gerrard added, “To write one of Germany’s best talents off at 22…I look at Philippe Coutinho. He was at Espanyol. No one wanted him. Only really Rafa Benitez knew Coutinho at 22, and then he went the other way and exploded.”
Bayern Munich’s reported interest offers Wirtz an escape route, but Liverpool are not looking to sell, per reported. The young German midfielder now has until the end of the season to prove Gerrard’s faith justified.
