Former Liverpool midfielder Didi Hamann has made a shocking claim about the future of Florian Wirtz, suggesting that the club’s record signing could be loaned out to Real Madrid as early as January.
Wirtz joined Liverpool in a blockbuster move from Bayer Leverkusen during the summer, but the German international has struggled to adapt to life at Anfield under new manager Arne Slot.
Florian Wirtz tipped to leave Liverpool in January
Real Madrid continue to be linked with a move for Wirtz, despite his slow start at Liverpool. And Hamann has refused to rule out the possibility of a potential loan move in January for the German.
Speaking in an interview with ESportsBets (via GOAL), Hamann suggested that the notion of a high-profile player being loaned out, once unthinkable, has become plausible in modern football, citing Philippe Coutinho’s temporary move to Bayern Munich shortly after his huge transfer to Barcelona.
Hamann said:
“Top players didn’t get loaned in the past. A loan was for players who didn’t get a game, but the top players didn’t get loaned. It probably started with Philippe Coutinho a few years ago, when he went for 140 million or something to Barcelona. And a year later he was loaned out to Bayern Munich.
“I wouldn’t rule anything out in today’s world, especially in football. It’s been reported that Xabi Alonso has asked Real Madrid to keep an eye on Florian Wirtz’ performances and what he does at Liverpool, I reckon it could be true.
“Because we know how fondly he talks of him. He was the reason they won the league, they won the cup. He was the heartbeat of the Bayer Leverkusen team with Granit Xhaka, and yeah, they keep an eye on him. He’s too good to fail at Liverpool, but it’s been about 10 games now. You can never rule anything out.”
“In my time, Juan Sebastian Veron came to Manchester United as potentially the best midfielder at the time. He lasted one season. So you can never rule anything out. It’ll depend on what happens in the next few weeks. But as I said, at the moment I wouldn’t rule anything out, and if Real Madrid are keeping an eye on him, it could happen.”
Why Florian Wirtz has struggled to make an impact at Liverpool
Wirtz’s early struggles at Liverpool can largely be attributed to the drastic tactical change from his role at Bayer Leverkusen under Xabi Alonso.
At Leverkusen, Wirtz was the creative heartbeat of the team — operating as a left-sided No.10 in Alonso’s 3-4-2-1 formation, where the play revolved around him.
His teammates, particularly Granit Xhaka, were explicitly instructed to find him between the lines.
This gave him the high-volume possession needed to build rhythm, dribble past opponents, and execute his trademark killer passes.
But at Liverpool, Wirtz is not the heart of the team and has been tasked with a different role.
His average touches per 90 have dropped notably, and crucially, his role demands significantly more off-the-ball running and defensive pressing.
The physical nature of the English top flight is a another factor. Wirtz has been seen getting easily out-muscled and easily pushed off the ball in early Premier League fixtures, a common stumbling block for technically-gifted players transitioning from the Bundesliga.
However, despite his struggles, there remains no doubt about the quality of the player. He is regarded as one of the best in his positions in the world, and there is a reason why the likes of Real Madrid remain interested in signing him.
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