Premier League 2025/26: Wirtz worth every penny and can power Reds to consecutive titles

• Liverpool's record signing can take Reds to new heights 

• German wonderkid is brilliant, fierce and versatile

• Back Slot's team to win successive Premier League titles

• Read the ultimate guide to FIFA Club World Cup 25

Why Wirtz will be a big hit at Liverpool

When a player signs for a Premier League club from Germany's top flight, there's often casual talk of the "Bundesliga Tax". However, for every Jadon Sancho there is a Kevin De Bruyne, and for every Timo Werner there's an Ilkay Gundogan. 

Injury-permitting, I'm convinced that Florian Wirtz will be a big hit rather than a catastrophic flop. He is an entertainer full of imagination, but also a fierce competitor who has shown he can inspire a team to reach heights it has never previously scaled.  

When Bayer Leverkusen made Germany football history by becoming the first ever team to complete an unbeaten Bundesliga and DFB Pokal double, Wirtz was the prime catalyst. He was named as the Bundesliga's best player that season, and he delivered double-figure tallies in both the goals and assists categories. Not only that, but he pressed like a demon, becoming Xabi Alonso's first line of defence. 

Wirtz is still only 22, but as young as 17 he was making a splash, becoming the youngest ever Bundesliga scorer when he netted against Bayern. That record has since been eclipsed, but it was a startling achievement at the time, and a sign of things to come.  

Wirtz followed up the double-winning season with an even better campaign in terms of goal involvements, and he was Man of the Match five times in Die Werkself's Champions League campaign. While he hasn't always found consistency at international level with Germany, he has sparkled at times, and once scored a stunning goal against France just seven seconds into the match. 

Where will Wirtz play for Liverpool?

Primarily right-footed, Wirtz tends to drift into the left half-space to do damage, but he can operate in a range of positions, including as a false nine. As we've seen from Liverpool boss Arne Slot's use of Luis Diaz, the Dutch coach doesn't always require a classic "number nine".  

Wirtz strikes the ball beautifully, can take people on in one-on-one situations, and his range of passing can be jaw-dropping. His outside-of-the-boot right-footed cross from the left is a particularly impressive speciality. 

Back Liverpool to win Premier League with wonderkid Wirtz

It shouldn't be underestimated what an enormous coup this is for Liverpool. Up until recently, the received wisdom in Germany was that if Wirtz was going to leave Leverkusen this summer, he was heading to Bayern Munich. For Liverpool to convince a leading German player to come to the Premier League years before he was expected to is testament to their recent success and the feel-good factor around the start of the Arne Slot era.  

It's also worth bearing in mind that Wirtz has overcome a significant injury setback in his career with grit and determination. He damaged the ACL in his left knee in 2022, but came back stronger.  

Liverpool are the 3.39/4 favourites on the Betfair Exchange to win the Premier League next season and defend their title, and their summer business puts them in a sensational position to do that. Back them now before Wirtz starts cooking in pre-season and that price shortens.

Now read Kevin's guide to the Club World Cup