Forward of Sunday’s recreation, Florian Wirtz was on a run of 5 objectives and two assists in ten matches for Liverpool – his finest run of type for the membership to this point.
Signed from Bayer Leverkusen for £116m final summer time, the Germany worldwide remains to be trying to justify his price ticket and his begin to 2026 has gone somewhat approach to doing that.
In actual fact, solely Igor Thiago and Viktor Gyokeres have scored extra objectives in all competitions than Wirtz for Premier League golf equipment for the reason that flip of the 12 months.
The German playmaker, nevertheless, struggled in opposition to Manchester Metropolis on Sunday. He solely created one probability for his teammates and didn’t create any ‘huge probabilities’.
Wirtz additionally missed a really presentable opening to attain for the Reds when he tried to put the ball into the underside nook as an alternative of going for energy, which allowed Marc Guehi to get a block on the tame effort.
Regardless of that disappointing efficiency from the £116m signing, Cody Gakpo is much more irritating than the previous Bundesliga attacking midfielder.
Why Cody Gakpo is extra irritating than Florian Wirtz
While Wirtz, Sunday’s recreation apart, has largely turned his type round and began to indicate his high quality on the prime finish of the pitch, Gakpo is at present on a poor run of type.
The Netherlands worldwide’s clean in opposition to Manchester Metropolis now signifies that he has failed to provide a objective or an help in his final 5 video games within the Premier League, which additionally takes his tally to 1 objective and 0 assists in his final ten video games within the division.
He additionally has simply three objectives and one help in his final 20 appearances in all competitions for the Reds, together with his final objective coming in opposition to Marseille within the Champions League.
The previous PSV winger has been extremely inconsistent, with 5 objectives in 19 Premier League begins, and his lack of finish product, significantly not too long ago, is why he has been such a irritating participant.
There’s a Liverpool participant on the different finish of the pitch who has been simply as irritating as Gakpo, although, and may lastly be moved on in the summertime.
The Liverpool flop who ought to lastly be moved on
Gakpo is among the many prime 20 costliest signings within the membership’s historical past, with his £40m transfer from PSV in 2023, and Ibrahima Konate can also be up there due to his £35m swap from RB Leipzig.
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The France worldwide’s time at Anfield could also be coming to an finish, although, as a result of his contract on the membership is because of expire on the finish of the season.
Arne Slot has confirmed that the Reds “are nonetheless in talks” with Konate over a attainable new contract with the membership, however Rennes starlet Jeremy Jacquet has agreed to hitch in the summertime, and he could possibly be seen as his compatriot’s alternative.
With the 20-year-old centre-back attributable to be part of Liverpool forward of the 2026/27 marketing campaign, Slot might lastly bin the ex-RB Leipzig flop on a free switch on the finish of June.
As an alternative of handing him a brand new contract, the Reds might revamp their defence by parting methods with Konate, who has been as irritating as Gakpo this season.
The France worldwide was gradual to react to the play for Bernardo Silva’s equaliser and, in consequence, misplaced his aerial duel to Erling Haaland, who flicked the ball on to arrange the Portuguese midfielder.
Author Graeme Kelly posted that the central defender “consistently will get beat” within the air for a participant of his dimension after shedding that duel to Haaland, which looks like a good criticism on the proof of Metropolis’s equaliser.
Sadly, misplaced duels and errors have develop into the theme of Konate’s season for the Reds, which is why he has been as irritating as Gakpo in latest months, because the errors, like Gakpo’s struggles in entrance of objective, are tainting his performances.
|
Konate (25/26) |
Premier League |
Champions League |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
24 |
6 |
|
Floor duel success charge |
65% |
50% |
|
Aerial duel success charge |
72% |
83% |
|
Error led to shot |
3 |
1 |
|
Error led to objective |
0 |
1 |
|
Penalties dedicated |
1 |
0 |
The 26-year-old flop has made six errors which have led to pictures, objectives, or penalties for the opposition within the Premier League and Champions League this time period, after making 5 such errors within the entirety of the 2024/25 marketing campaign in each competitions.
He has allowed too many fundamental errors, in duels and with the ball at his ft, to creep into his recreation this 12 months, and it has come at a nasty time together with his contract operating out.
Liverpool have to be ruthless and at last axe him from the squad when his contract expires in the summertime as a result of he has been too error-prone this season, and Slot has a brand new signing prepared to come back in when the summer time window opens, after the Jacquet deal went by way of on deadline day.
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