Wirtz makes Chelsea transfer decision: Why Liverpool star’s call is the right one

Analysis

Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

Liverpool playmaker Florian Wirtz continues to catch flack as his €125 million transfer to Anfield continues to stall. He has been linked with a move to Chelsea and has come to a smart decision over his future.

Wirtz arrived at Liverpool regarded as one of the most promising players in world football. He was coming off back-to-back seasons with Bayer Leverkusen when he had hit double figures in both assists and goals in the Bundesliga, yet the Premier League has not been so kind to him.

Little over a year after arriving at Anfield, the 23-year-old, who has a contract until 2030, has delivered only five Premier League goals and as many assists. For €125m, much more was expected.

Naturally, Wirtz’s future has been called into question. Rumours have linked him with a potential switch to Premier League rivals Chelsea, where he would hook up with Xabi Alonso, the man who got the best of him at Leverkusen.

Given he still commands an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of over €115m, Liverpool still have the potential to sell without major economic damage.

Wirtz, meanwhile, already appears to have settled his future in his mind – and it’s remaining with the Anfield club. The German has no intention of leaving to join Chelsea, according to CaughtOffside.

Why Wirtz is making the right move

Leaving Liverpool would be the easy option for Wirtz in the circumstances. He finds himself increasingly under pressure, with club legend Jamie Carragher even claiming that the German is threatening to ‘embarrass’ the Reds with performances that are perceived as below par.

But according to data analytics firm SciSports, it would also be the wrong decision to leave Liverpool for Chelsea.

The Blues would not be a good move for Wirtz, according to its Career Advice tool, which judges transfers on a variety of categories ranging from development and game time to playing style and formation.

Chelsea score a meagre 65 and are not well suited to him based on the style that Alonso has imposed at Stamford Bridge, while his development would also be stunted by a move to the Blues, SciSports reports.

By contrast, Liverpool remain the strongest option, coming in with a Club Fit of 78.

Wirtz’s other options

Real Madrid (73) and Bayern Munich (71) both score well but Wirtz could find himself running into similar issues at these super clubs as he has at Liverpool. Neither has a playing style that suits him.

Bournemouth and Leeds both score four stars for style but do not have the power to attract such a player.

There are other options in the Premier League that could better suit him, however. Newcastle and Tottenham are a strong fit in terms of their playing style, with Spurs in particular a club with a recent history of big-money moves, the type of which would be required to sign Wirtz.

The German, however, appears to have his heart set on success at Liverpool, despite the dwindling number of people who believe that it’s still possible.

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