Iraola backs Wirtz to silence critics as Klopp urges patience with £116m Liverpool signing

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola has called for Florian Wirtz to be judged by the same standards as any other player, pushing back against growing scrutiny of Liverpool’s £116m record signing ahead of the Premier League fixture between the two sides at the Vitality Stadium.

Wirtz, 23, arrived from Bayer Leverkusen last summer in a deal that set a then British-record transfer fee, but the German international managed only seven goals and 10 assists across 49 appearances in his debut season at Anfield. His second campaign has started no more convincingly, with just a single assist to his name so far.

“He should be judged like everyone else — he works,” Iraola said on Friday. “How does the team play when you are on the pitch? I am very happy with Florian. He understands what we need in every aspect of the game. We want to add assists and goals, but he is helping us in all areas.”

Iraola’s defence of the attacking midfielder follows similar remarks from former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who urged supporters and pundits to ease the pressure on his compatriot. Klopp noted that Wirtz had covered more ground than any other Liverpool player this season, pointing to the effort and intent behind performances that have not yet produced the headline numbers expected of a player at that price.

“We have to move away from the idea that we need to see special moments from him,” Klopp said. “He is there to help us as a team. You have to be satisfied with a game in which Flo Wirtz gave everything but didn’t have a goal or assist. We simply have to give the boy the feeling: ‘That was more than good enough today. You helped us as a team.’”

Klopp added that the willingness from Wirtz was “absolutely there” and that the focus now should be on ensuring the player feels comfortable within the squad environment, with the belief that individual moments of quality will follow once the team functions as a unit.

For Iraola, the conversation around Wirtz is a distraction from the collective challenge his Bournemouth side faces in hosting one of the Premier League’s title contenders. Liverpool arrive at the Vitality Stadium with expectations of their own, and Iraola will be hoping the scrutiny directed at the visitors’ most expensive asset works in his team’s favour.