Liverpool have made a number of signings this summer, but none have arrived with the same expectations around them as the club’s record signing, Florian Wirtz.

The 22-year-old joined Liverpool following six seasons and 197 appearances for Bayer Leverkusen. During his time at Leverkusen, he won the Bundesliga and was named Bundesliga Player of the Year. Wirtz registered 119 goal involvements for his former employers and was known for his quick dribbling, creative play and ruthless finishing ability.

Wirtz could cost Liverpool up to £116 million if his add-ons are achieved, but he hasn’t had the immediate impact that his fellow Bundesliga recruit, Hugo Ekitiké, has had. Wirtz has only registered one assist, whereas Ekitike has three goals and an assist in his first three appearances.

"Wirtz hasn’t yet fit into the team"

Although he is still in the early stages of his Liverpool career, people have taken notice of his struggles, including Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker. During their “Rest is Football” podcast, Lineker and Shearer discussed Wirtz’s struggles fitting into the squad.

When discussing Liverpool’s second Premier League game against Newcastle, Lineker pointed out that Wirtz hasn’t yet fit into the team: “He likes to play in that role, but has it caused Liverpool a few early issues? I mean, they’ve got six points, so it’s not massive issues at present. But it’s made them look slightly unbalanced to where they were last season.”

Shearer agreed with his colleague, saying: “Their rhythm is nowhere near what it was when they were playing really well last season. They’re finding it difficult to get him into the game; they’re certainly more open.”

The podcast’s third host, Micah Richards, came to the German’s defence: “I think Wirtz will come good. I think he’s just used to playing a different style of football. I think it is a bit physical in this league and they’re still figuring out how they want to play, you know.”

Wirtz's work rate going under the radar

While Wirtz hasn’t scored yet, he has had some bright moments for Liverpool and has been impressing in some surprising metrics.

From the opening two Premier League games, Wirtz is in the top 20% of players for expected assists and is on track to record an assist every four games. This is slightly below his record last season, where he registered an assist every three games.

An area where he has been surprisingly impressive is his pressing and defending. Despite being known for his attacking acumen, Wirtz is currently in the top 30% of players for recoveries per 90 and the top 7% of players for possession won in the final third per 90. While these stats don’t receive direct credit for goals, they’re important in terms of winning possession and have undoubtedly contributed to Liverpool’s back-to-back victories.

Where there has been legitimate concern has been his shooting, averaging one shot a game, whereas last season he registered triple that. Based on the current stats, the assists will come, but the challenge will be working out ways for the team to provide Wirtz with chances so they can bring about the goal threat they signed him for.