Liverpool star Dominik Szoboszlai has been told why the imminent record-breaking signing of Florian Wirtz does not necessarily spell the end for him at Anfield, with former Reds striker Emile Heskey exclusively telling TEAMtalk why the Hungarian can still play a major role under Arne Slot.
The Reds have been locked in talks over a deal for Wirtz with Bayer Leverkusen over the past fortnight, after honing in on the 22-year-old as their major summer target and the new poster boy at Anfield. However, negotiations with the Bundesliga side have proved a long, drawn-out affair, with Liverpool seeing several offers flatly batted away by the German outfit.
On Tuesday evening, though, Fabrizio Romano revealed the Reds have finally struck gold after a fourth proposal was accepted, dropping his famous ‘Here we go’ confirmation on what will be a new British record €150m (£127m, $172m) deal.
With the Reds willing to obliterate several more records to get the deal over the line, plenty of expectations will be put on Wirtz’s shoulders. Furthermore, many also fear his signing could force another big-money star, Szoboszlai, to drop to the substitute’s bench.
Despite that, former Reds frontman Heskey is adamant there is room throughout a busy season for Slot to utilise both.
“If Wirtz arrives, then the reality is, yes, Szoboszlai may lose his place. But in modern football, sometimes it’s horses for courses. There are so many games to play, so many different teams to take on,” Heskey told TEAMtalk, in association with Prime Casino.
“You can say of a player that he’s not featured much, but they end up playing 30 games. There are squad players now who play as much football as regular starters used to. Some players are at 50, 60 games a season, and then we wonder why they burn out.”
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Heskey compares Florian Wirtz to recent Liverpool favourite
Heskey also insists Man City manager Pep Guardiola is right about working with smaller groups of players, adding: “I think Guardiola has it right. He wants to work with a smaller group, with 10 key players, and then another 10 or 11 who are going to give you 30 each over the season.”
We also asked Heskey what he thinks Wirtz can bring to the club, with expectations likely to be heavy on the 22-year-old’s shoulders.
And Heskey believes the German will succeed, having compared his talents to those of recent Reds hero Philippe Coutinho.
“I really like Florian Wirtz, and he reminds me a bit of a former Liverpool player. From what I’ve watched, he reminds me a little bit of Coutinho…” Heskey stated, before explaining his theory.
“The positioning that he picks up, the way he gets on the ball, the way he manipulates the ball, the goals that he scores as well. It reminds me a little bit of Coutinho.
“Obviously Liverpool have been exceptional in some seasons without him, but they’ve not quite replaced that kind of creativity which can unlock defences and work in tight spaces. The reality for Liverpool now is that teams sit back and will stay compact, and make the areas for their opponents really tight.”
Explaining why he will be a brilliant signing, he added: “Liverpool need Wirtz, he can work in those pockets and move the ball around under pressure. I think he would be a brilliant signing for them.”
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Meanwhile, Liverpool have been offered the chance to finally land Aurelien Tchouameni after reports in Spain named the Frenchman as one of three players told they have no future under new Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso.
Despite that offer, Slot is reported to have come to a very rapid verdict on the long-term Reds target.
Elsewhere on the incoming front, the dominoes are starting to fall in place to secure Milos Kerkez’s move to Anfield after Fabrizio Romano revealed how a connected deal was also now closing in.
And finally, Liverpool have been told they can secure the signing of Hugo Ekitike to complement the club-record arrival of Wirtz – though the Reds must offload two of three players before another huge deal can be sanctioned.
How Szoboszlai and Wirtz compare this season
