Florian Wirtz’s slow start to life at Liverpool is drawing increasing criticism as the Reds stumble through a difficult opening to the season. Signed from Bayer Leverkusen in a £116 million summer deal, the 22-year-old German international has yet to score or assist in a competitive game for his new club.

Nigel Reo-Coker believes Arne Slot is misusing the midfielder. Speaking after Liverpool’s Champions League defeat to Galatasaray, the former Premier League player insisted Wirtz must be deployed centrally in the No.10 role rather than out wide. “He has to be behind the striker, turning in space and making things happen. Right now, he’s not being put in a position to succeed,” Reo-Coker told CBS Sport.

The comparison with Arsenal’s Eberechi Eze was a pointed one. Reo-Coker argued both players thrive with freedom to create, and that expecting Wirtz to adapt in a deeper or wider role is limiting his impact.

Jamie Carragher, meanwhile, was far blunter in his assessment. The ex-Liverpool defender said Wirtz “just isn’t at the races” and should be dropped to allow the team to rediscover balance. “He’s young, he’s got time, but right now he looks lost and the whole side is suffering for it,” Carragher told Sky.

Liverpool’s £116m gamble was meant to spark a creative revolution under Slot, but instead the team looks fractured. Heavy investment in Wirtz and other attacking options hasn’t solved defensive frailties, with the Reds leaking goals and struggling to control games.

Slot defended his record, insisting the Galatasaray defeat showed “more positives than the Palace loss,” but admitted his team found it harder and harder to create chances as the match wore on. He urged patience, but supporters are already voicing doubts about his tactical choices.

Wirtz himself is facing the brunt of scrutiny, a reality compounded by the size of his transfer fee. While he showed glimpses in the Community Shield back in August, his form since then has been patchy at best.

The struggles have prompted Bayer Leverkusen, his former club, to publicly back their academy graduate, urging patience and respect. But at Anfield, patience is already running thin.

Liverpool’s history is littered with high-profile transfers who took time to adjust Mo Salah needed settling periods before becoming pivotal. Whether Wirtz can follow that path, or risks being remembered as another expensive misfit, may depend on how quickly Slot can reshape the system around him.