Florian Wirtz has faced plenty of criticism since his big-money move to Liverpool, but the story of Rodri’s early struggles in England shows why writing him off too soon could be a mistake.
Wirtz arrived at Anfield from Bayer Leverkusen in 2025 in a deal that could eventually reach £116 million. Naturally, that price tag has brought enormous expectations, and his performances have been judged against them.
Some of the criticism has been particularly strong.
Jamie Carragher previously questioned Wirtz’s work off the ball, arguing that attacking players at Liverpool need to be confident in possession but also willing to work hard without it.
Didi Hamann has also pointed out that a player signed for such a huge fee is expected to make a bigger impact in the final third.
Gary Neville, meanwhile, has questioned Wirtz’s intensity and suggested that there is more effort and aggression he can bring to his game.
Those criticisms are understandable. Wirtz has not yet consistently produced the level of performances many expected after his move to England.
But there is another side to the story.
Maybe last season shouldn’t be the final judgment
Liverpool’s 2025/26 campaign was hardly the easiest environment for a new player to settle into.
The emotional impact of Diogo Jota’s death was enormous, with several Liverpool players openly discussing how difficult the period was for the squad. There were also fitness problems and plenty of changes within the team.
That doesn’t excuse every poor performance from Wirtz, but it does provide some context.
This season could therefore be a much better opportunity to judge what Wirtz can actually become at Liverpool.
The club’s tactical approach also gives him an important role. Under Andoni Iraola, Wirtz has been used closer to the main striker, potentially operating as the attacking midfielder behind Alexander Isak or whoever leads the line.
If he can rediscover the form that made him one of Europe’s most exciting young players at Leverkusen, Liverpool could benefit enormously from having that kind of creative player in the team.
And this is where Rodri’s story becomes relevant.
Rodri knows what it is like to struggle after moving to England
When Manchester City signed Rodri from Atletico Madrid in 2019, the midfielder was expected to settle quickly.
It didn’t quite happen that way.
Rodri later described his first season in the Premier League as a “disaster”. He was adapting to a completely different style of football while City were also dealing with injuries in defence and the departure of Vincent Kompany.
Yet City didn’t simply give up on him.
They gave him time.
The rest of the story is well known. Rodri developed into one of the finest defensive midfielders in world football, becoming a central figure in Manchester City’s success and eventually winning the Ballon d’Or.
That doesn’t mean Wirtz will automatically follow the same path. Every player is different, and there is no guarantee that a difficult first season will eventually turn into greatness.
But Rodri’s experience is a useful reminder that struggling after a major move doesn’t necessarily mean a player is finished.
Wirtz still has plenty to prove at Liverpool.
Perhaps the biggest question now is whether he can use this season to show why the club invested so heavily in him.
Time will tell.
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