One of Liverpool’s star players could “ask to leave” the Premier League giants next year as he has a potential escape route, according to reports.
In the summer, Liverpool’s leaders confirmed a major overhaul, citing the club as Europe’s biggest spending club.
After winning their 20th Premier League title, head coach Arne Slott was helped to build a new squad after getting the best out of Jurgen Klopp’s group for the 2024/25 season.
The Reds twice broke British transfer records to sign Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, and also spent big to sign Hugo Ekitike, Jeremy Frimpong, Milos Kerkes and Giovanni Leoni.
It was initially expected that this would be the start of Liverpool’s period of dominance in the Premier League, but they have struggled at the start of this season.
Liverpool had won earlier this season but were lucky as they relied on second-half winners and individual moments of quality. They were exposed to stronger opposition with losses to Crystal Palace, Galatasaray and Chelsea before the international break.
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Slott has struggled to find the right balance with the champions following the large influx of players in the summer, while he doesn’t seem to quite know his best team, as most of his summer signings have struggled to make an impact.
£116m star Werts has been criticized more than anyone for his performances as he has taken time to adapt to life in the Premier League, but there is no doubt that the slot has made his situation more complicated as Liverpool’s midfield set-up has changed significantly at the start of this season.
The 22-year-old has no goals or assists in seven Premier League appearances, but he has shown promise at one point and should eventually find his way to Liverpool.
The Reds fended off competition from Manchester City and Bayern Munich to secure his role in the summer, while Real Madrid also made a statement by signing Wirtz, having been linked with him.
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Now, Spanish outlet Defensa Central reports that Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso, who worked with the attacking midfielder, believes Real Madrid could offer Wirtz an escape route and has “asked” club leaders to “pay close attention to his future.”
It is also claimed that if “the situation does not improve,” he “may be asked to resign at the end of the year.” Mr Arsono is said to be a “key” part of the “operation”.
The report adds:
“The Real Madrid manager could persuade him and it could be a solution to his current situation.”If he doesn’t adapt to Liverpool and doesn’t show his quality, he could be forced to look elsewhere. And Los Blancos would be a coveted option.
“Xabi Alonso knows that he could be an important factor in the final decision that Florian Wirths makes, especially if he is unable to turn the situation around and continues to receive criticism from all sides. But he has a great relationship with the German, so he trusts him.”