Slot summer signing warned he’s ‘finished at Liverpool’ unless he ‘adapts quickly’

Liverpool summer signing Florian Wirtz is “finished” at Anfield unless he quickly learns to adapt to the Premier League, according to former Netherlands international Wesley Sneijder.

The Reds have been struggling in the Premier League this season with their 3-0 defeat to Manchester City their fifth loss in 11 league matches.

Goals from Erling Haaland, Nico Gonzalez and Jeremy Doku gave the Citizens victory over Liverpool with the Reds having a Virgil van Dijk header ruled out by VAR for offside.

After becoming Premier League champions last term, Liverpool now sit eighth in the table with Arne Slot’s side eight points adrift of leaders Arsenal.

One of their main issues has been integrating their new signings into the side with Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong all coming in for criticism.

There has been criticism for Slot over attempting to force Wirtz into the team, with former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger recently claiming Liverpool have “destroyed their midfield” by putting the Germany international into the side.

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Wirtz is yet to get a goal or an assist in 11 Premier League appearances this season with the German contributing two assists and no goals in four Champions League fixtures.

And former Real Madrid and Inter Milan attacking midfielder Sneijder reckons Wirtz could be “finished” at Liverpool unless he proves himself “quickly”.

Sneijder told Adventure Gamers: “If he doesn’t adapt quickly, he’s finished at Liverpool.

“I always say this about players with a German or Dutch mentality. You can play well in your own country, but they often have problems adapting in other countries.

‘”Wirtz was in the right place in Germany, everything was a good fit. But now he has taken a big step – and at a big club you don’t have time to settle in. You have to deliver immediately.”

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Sneijder was not the only pundit to be critical after watching Wirtz against Man City with Gary Neville insisting he “looked like a little boy” at the Etihad Stadium.

Speaking on his own Sky Sports podcast, Neville said: “Wirtz is a problem.

“Let’s just call it as it is. It’s an issue. He’s £100m+, and to be fair, I said a few weeks ago [Milos] Kerkez looked like a little boy out there. Today I thought Wirtz looked like a little boy. That can’t be the case.”

Neville added: “We’ve been tiptoeing around him for a few months, around the fact that he’s young, he’s coming to a new country, but he’s £100m+, you’re going to have to stand up soon.

“He’s obviously got something, he’s a really good player, he’s technically fantastic, but he’s been mauled out there today by Matheus Nunes and by others.

“He’s been chucked around the pitch, and didn’t deliver on the quality side of things as well, so his performance was a real worry.”

Neville continued: “He’s a Germany international of great standing, and he looks well short in respect of what you’d expect in a top physical Premier League match.

“They’ve got to get him up to speed, they’ve got to get that little bit of tenacity into him, and that little bit of something that means he’ll start to get into form, because what they have to do is stick with him and persist.”