Uli Hoeness has turned the Florian Wirtz discussion into something bigger than a poor run of numbers. The Bayern München honorary president said Wirtz would play much better for Bayern München than for Liverpool, while Andoni Iraola is publicly backing the German to settle in. Wirtz moved to Liverpool for a British record £116million, and the argument over his start has followed him ever since.

Hoeness's public pitch for Bayern

Hoeness did not hide where he stands. "Florian Wirtz would play much better for Bayern than he does at Liverpool," he said. "They haven't integrated him properly at all. In Leverkusen, he got every ball; in Liverpool, he's just one among many."

Herbert Hainer has also voiced sympathy for Wirtz, saying he "almost" feels sorry for him because he has not yet reached the same form in England that he had at Leverkusen. The tone from Bavaria is striking. This is not just outside noise around a struggling start, it reads like a club power base openly suggesting Liverpool are getting less than they should from a marquee signing.

Iraola's defence of Wirtz's start

Iraola has gone the other way. Speaking to mirror.co.uk, he said: "I’m delighted with Florian. He’s coming off three very good performances and I trust this is the start of finding his confidence again."

The numbers help explain why Liverpool are not rushing to write him off. Wirtz has two assists in the Premier League this season and no league goals, but he has also made seven Premier League appearances and has been taken off after 70 minutes or earlier in three of Liverpool's seven games. That points more to a player still being managed through the opening months than one who has been fully judged.

Iraola also said Wirtz is still acclimatising to the league's duels and that he is judged too heavily on goals and assists. Liverpool's recent run supports that patience, with three straight wins and a Champions League display against Villarreal that was described as his best in a Liverpool shirt.

His European numbers are stronger too. Wirtz has one Champions League goal, one assist and a 7.42 average rating in the competition, compared with a 6.62 average in the Premier League. That gap does not settle the debate on its own, but it does show why some around Liverpool are more willing to frame this as adaptation rather than failure.

The tougher part for Hoeness's argument is that Liverpool's recent team results are not collapsing around Wirtz. They have won four of their last five matches and can make it four wins from four against Brighton at Anfield on Sunday afternoon. The pressure on the signing is real, but the broader picture is still moving in Liverpool's favour while Wirtz works through the league adjustment.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →