Liverpool manager Arne Slot heaps praise on ‘experienced’ Florian Wirtz, admits he needs time to adapt | OneFootball

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has praised summer signing Florian Wirtz ahead of Friday evening’s season-opener against Bournemouth.

The Reds spent a fortune to bring Wirtz to Anfield from Bayer Leverkusen, splashing a mouth-watering British record £116 million on him.

Liverpool paid an initial £100m, while the additional £16m is tied to performance-related add-ons.

Wirtz is still finding his feet in England, but his pre-season performances gave the Liverpool fans a glimpse of what to expect this season.

He scored in the 3-1 pre-season win against Yokohama F Marinos and set up fellow summer arrival Hugo Ekitike for his debut goal against Crystal Palace in the Community Shield.

Liverpool ultimately fell short on penalties after both sides played out an entertaining 2-2 draw at Wembley Stadium.

With the curtain-raiser on the horizon, Slot did his best to take some of the pressure off Wirtz’s shoulders as the German playmaker prepares to make his Premier League debut.

“He might be young, but he’s already won a lot,” Slot said in his pre-match press conference. “I don’t think we can see him as a young player, but he is experienced.

“He won the Bundesliga, plays for Germany, and his mentality is his biggest strength. He doesn’t get distracted by the transfer fee.

“Good players always find a way to play good football. But in videos and training ground, he needs to understand what we want.

“We want to be intense. Xabi Alonso tried to bring him into positions we want to, but it’s true he has to adjust to England, intensity and his new team-mates.”

Liverpool are heading into Friday’s season-opener as overwhelming favourites as they take on a Bournemouth squad that has been picked apart this summer.

One of the narratives that could dominate the headlines would be the performance of Hungarian left back Milos Kerkez, who is expected to make his Liverpool debut against his former employers.