Liverpool star has already created Champions League history but will get better when Mohamed Salah is gone

Florian Wirtz has been tipped to become Liverpool’s main man once Mohamed Salah leaves the club in the summer.

The German playmaker has had a mixed first season at Anfield since his arrival last summer for a then-British record deal worth £116.5million.

Expected to be an instant hit, Wirtz initially struggled to make his mark before finding form at the back end of 2025.

He has become increasingly influential for Arne Slot's side, and now boasts six goals and nine assists in all competitions - having only netted for the first time in Red on December 27.

Chance would be a fine thing

Wirtz's growing importance in the Liverpool team can be seen in just how many chances he has created for his teammates.

The 22-year-old has carved out over 70 goal-scoring opportunities in the Premier League and Champions League this term.

His numbers in Europe are particularly impressive, with Wirtz creating 27 chances from open play in nine games so far.

This total is already the most by a player for an English club in 10 Champions League matches since Opta began recording statistics in 2003/04, with German hero Mesut Ozil holding the overall record of 32.

Time to shine

Wirtz faces the biggest test of his Liverpool career so far on Wednesday, with a crunch Champions League quarter-final clash against holders Paris Saint-Germain.

And while the midfielder will need to bring his A-game if the Reds are to get a positive result, European football expert Andy Brassell believes it may be a few months yet before we see him at his best.

Discussing Wirtz's first season in England, Brassell told talkSPORT: "I just think it's almost like the rookie wall in the NBA, isn't it?

“That first season in the Premier League is tough, I don't think there's any doubt about that.

“Now look, when he was on the international break, he had a great game for Germany against Switzerland. He was fantastic with two goals and two assists."

Wirtz's first season on Merseyside has seen Liverpool endure a significant drop-off from their title-winning form last season.

Having stormed to Premier League glory with four games to spare in 2025, this year the Reds find themselves in a battle for Champions League qualification, with many key players struggling to match their levels of last term.

Among those seen as underperforming is club icon Mohamed Salah, who recently announced he will leave Anfield this summer.

And Brassell believes Salah's continued presence at the club is among the reasons Wirtz has struggled to establish himself as Liverpool's main man, but tipped him to achieve this next term.

He continued: “I guess one of Liverpool's whole problems this season has been a lot changing far too quickly, and they kind of lost the magic of what happened last season accordingly.

“Now really, for someone to turn up in their first Premier League season to one of the biggest clubs in the world and be told: ‘Right, this is your team’ - I mean that is a lot of pressure.

“Especially when the guy whose team it previously was is still there, albeit playing a different role.

“I think it'll be easier for him, even though they don't play the same position obviously, when Mo Salah has gone.”

The stats show that Wirtz has scored more goals, averages more touches, creates more chances and has registered as many assists in 14 starts for Liverpool without Salah this season across all competitions, despite the pair featuring on the same line-up seven more times.

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