Julian Nagelsmann: Liverpool problems have hurt Florian Wirtz's form

The 22-year-old German midfielder, hailed as the golden boy of German football, joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for a staggering £116 million in the off-season - a move that instantly made him one of the most talked-about players in Europe.

However, his time at Anfield has coincided with a difficult spell for the Reds. Sunday's 3-0 defeat to Manchester City only intensified the pressure, with Wirtz's form coming under close examination in both England and his homeland.

Despite flashes of his trademark creativity, Liverpool's inconsistency has limited his impact so far this season.

As the international break begins, Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann has offered his support to the young star, suggesting that Wirtz's struggles are partly down to Liverpool's recent dip in form.

"To be honest, the whole situation does not make it easy for him either," said Nagelsmann.

"The whole club itself is not as stable this year as it was last year. It's much harder to slip into the team now.

"If you look versus City, they were the worse team over the 90 minutes. So it is also difficult for Flo to make any real big impact.

"Ultimately, the overall situation is such that he just needs a little more time - which is normal and you see that with other players, who move to the English Premier League as well."

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