Liverpool have been told by former Spain and Barcelona midfielder Gaizka Mendieta why they should consider an incredible swap deal involving Florian Wirtz and an elite Real Madrid star, for the good of both players involved.<\/p>\n
Wirtz has endured a tough start to his career on Merseyside, after the Anfield outfit forked out a then British record \u00a3116million to bring him to the Premier League from Bayer Leverkusen over the summer.<\/p>\n
Indeed, the Germany international has not registered a goal or assist in 11 Premier League outings for Liverpool<\/a>. He has, however, fared slightly better in the Champions League, laying on two goals for his teammates in four outings thus far.<\/p>\n Wirtz<\/a> has actually been sidelined for Liverpool\u2019s last two games with a muscle issue, but could be back in contention for Sunday\u2019s clash with West Ham, a game Arne Slot desperately needs to win to take some heat off his currently precarious position.<\/p>\n Mendieta, meanwhile, believes that Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso could assist Wirtz in reviving his flagging career, given their previous success together at Leverkusen. Wirtz was with the Bundesliga outfit for five years \u2013 three of which were under the Spanish manager and included a first-ever top-flight title for the club.<\/p>\n And Mendieta feels that a swap deal involving Wirtz and Real forward\u00a0Vinicius Junior<\/a> makes perfect sense, given reports that the latter has a strained relationship with Alonso that has led to a delay in signing a new Bernabeu contract.<\/p>\n \u201cFlorian Wirtz and Vinicius Junior in a swap deal. Why not? Honestly, why not?,\u201d Mendieta told Casinostugan.<\/p>\n \u201cI see more obviously of Florian Wirtz at Real Madrid than Vinicius Junior at Liverpool right now, but I think a swap deal could suit them.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve seen it before, when a coach has a soft spot for a player, and they know they can get the best out of him, they want to work with that player again. He was a leader at Leverkusen and although there are a lot of what ifs, we\u2019ve seen it before.<\/p>\n \u201cThe question at Real Madrid would be what position he would play and who he would replace. They already have a problem with the players that they have: Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, Fede Valverde, so I think it\u2019s crowded, especially in midfield.\u201d<\/p>\n DON\u2019T MISS \u27a1\ufe0f\u00a0Liverpool \u2018betrayal\u2019 justified as Trent Alexander-Arnold winning over Real Madrid media: \u2018They still miss him at Anfield\u2019<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Vinicius Junior backed to be a big hit at Liverpool<\/strong><\/p>\n Mendieta, meanwhile, strongly believes that\u00a0Vinicius would be a big hit in the Premier League with Liverpool, adding: \u201cVinicius Junior could be a big success in the Premier League with the right support.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I mean support, I mean a club having faith in him, obviously he\u2019s a fantastic player. The Premier League has a physical side, he\u2019s obviously a strong player.<\/p>\n \u201cI could see him having success. I would love to see Vinicius Junior in the Premier League. I think it would be a fantastic challenge for himself as a player.\u201d<\/p>\n In terms of the chances of Real actually parting ways with one of their prized assets,\u00a0The Athletic have reported that discussions over fresh terms have hit a standstill, and that the \u2018picture has become complicated.\u2019<\/p>\n The Brazilian is currently tied down until the summer of 2027 and also continues to be heavily linked with Manchester City<\/a> and a potential switch to the riches on offer in the Saudi Pro League.<\/p>\n Get the inside story first by joining our TEAMtalk Facebook channel<\/a> to receive the latest breaking and exclusive news straight into your Messenger inbox.<\/p>\n Latest Liverpool news: Real midfielder links; Konate revelation<\/strong><\/p>\n First up, Liverpool manager Arne Slot may not be able to convince Real Madrid to sell Aurelien Tchouameni, but a Spanish report has revealed the name of the midfielder that Los Blancos are willing to offload, as TEAMtalk analyses the chances of a sale happening in 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n Elsewhere, a\u00a0Spanish report has revealed why Real Madrid have decided to abandon their interest in Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate<\/a> and has disclosed Kylian Mbappe\u2019s reaction to the news, while journalist Guillem Balague has analysed the reasons why Los Blancos are now keen on Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi.<\/p>\n