He's an enigma, Florian Wirtz, that's for sure, with Liverpool still yet to see the best of the fleet-footed German.

Signed from Bayer Leverkusen last summer for a fee of around £116m, the Reds would have expected far more considering the eye-watering nature of that investment.

Of course, Wirtz hasn't been the only marquee arrival to underwhelm at Anfield, yet while Alexander Isak has begun to find his groove again, there's been no major uplift for the 23-year-old since Andoni Iraola arrived in the dugout.

The lack of impact is starting to get a little concerning, although let's not forget just how good Wirtz looked back in Germany.

Remembering why Liverpool were willing to pay £116m for Wirtz

Four Premier League outings this season have yielded just one assist for Liverpool's number seven, with Wirtz also recording just eight goal involvements in the top-flight last year.

Such a record is well below what he was producing back at Bayer Leverkusen, the playmaker certainly not the first Bundesliga import to struggle in English football.

Even so, his prior form suggests he is worth persisting with, with Wirtz having even been tipped to win the Ballon d'Or as a result of his breathtaking displays in a Leverkusen shirt.

In 2024/25, for instance, he scored ten and assisted a further 12 in the Bundesliga, having also reached double figures for both metrics in the previous campaign.

That 2023/24 season saw then-boss Xabi Alonso guide the club to an unbeaten domestic campaign, seeing off Bayern Munich to claim a first-ever Bundesliga title.

Hampered by injury in 2022/23, Wirtz came back with a vengeance in that invincible season, having also scored and assisted eight goals in just eight Europa League starts that year en route to the final.

Operating in a left-sided number ten role in Alonso's 3-4-2-1 system, the German was given the freedom to roam and cause havoc, proving so devastating with his combination of pinpoint finishing and innate creativity.

He was a joy to watch, so fluid and dynamic, central to everything good about that triumphant side. Liverpool will be hoping he can recapture that kind of form again, with FSG seemingly looking to the Bundesliga once more for another marquee target.

How Liverpool could seal Wirtz repeat in 2027

The window might have only just come to a close, yet Iraola's squad still requires further reinforcements, with January set to provide the next opportunity to strengthen.

Midfield will be the key issue when 2027 does roll around, with the Reds looking a little light in that department, having not signed a new, senior midfielder since the summer of 2023.

Reports this week did suggest that talks had been held regarding a deal for Monaco's Lamine Camara, the Senegal star having seen a move to Chelsea collapse on deadline day.

The 22-year-old isn't the only option on the table, however, with reports in Germany suggesting that Liverpool are among the clubs keeping tabs on Borussia Dortmund powerhouse, Felix Nmecha.

Manchester City, where Nmecha was once part of the academy set-up, are also closely monitoring the situation, the two Premier League rivals sending scouts to watch the 25-year-old in action.

There have been no offers made or talks held as yet, although it does appear that Dortmund have placed an asking price on his head, believed to be as much as €90m (£77m).

The German outfit would seemingly be willing to start negotiations if they receive a bid close to that figure, suggesting Liverpool, or City, could have hope of getting a deal over the line if they ramp up their interest.

An international teammate of Wirtz, Nmecha was actually a bright spark in a difficult summer for Germany, hailed by Julian Nagelsmann as having the potential to become the "best player in the world" in his position, as relayed by journalist Patrick Berger.

Such praise isn't without merit, it must be said, the elegant midfielder only recently scoring a remarkable overhead kick against Paderborn in Bundesliga action.

He certainly looks like a class above in that league, as Wirtz was before him, having already scored twice in just three appearances in the competition so far this season.

Where Nmecha particularly excels, like Wirtz, is with regard to his ball-carrying quality, boasting an average of 1.1 successful dribbles per game in 2025/26, a fine record for a central midfielder. For context, Wirtz's average in the Premier League last term was only just ahead at 1.2 per game.

A versatile, box-to-box asset, Nmecha can thrive as a number six, a number eight or even a number ten if required, likely to prove a real powerful presence in Iraola's midfield unit.

Of course, the concern will be as to whether he can thrive away from Germany, and yet, like Wirtz, his sky-high ceiling suggests that he's worth the investment.