Arne Slot thinks Florian Wirtz needs more freedom to produce best for Liverpool

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot believes the key to getting the best out of Florian Wirtz is by giving him freedom in the final third.

The Germany international had his best game since his £100million (€113 million) summer move from Bayer Leverkusen coming inside from a wide-left position in Tuesday’s Champions League win over Real Madrid.

Having been primarily played through the middle, the 22-year-old had defensive responsibilities on the left but was otherwise allowed to roam and assume positions where he could find the most space and be effective.

Slot does not want to pigeon-hole the playmaker as a left-sided attacker as he believes that will not play to his strengths.

“Florian can play in more than only one position. He can play off the left, which he did almost all the time in Leverkusen when Xabi Alonso came and introduced his 3-4-3 system, and before he played as a 10 in a 4-3-3,” said Slot.

“It is more about getting him positions where he is good, rather than be focused on ‘Is he a 10, is he an 11, is he an eight?’.

“We would like to have him in and around the 18-yard box, centrally or a bit more off the left or bit more off the right for him to create the amount of chances he has already created for us.”

Sunday’s trip to Manchester City presents another tough task and Wirtz could find himself in a different role against Pep Guardiola’s side, as last season at the Etihad Slot deployed twin number 10s – on that occasion Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones – in a 2-0 victory.

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