Former Tottenham and Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov has offered a glowing endorsement of Liverpool midfielder Florian Wirtz, sensationally comparing the German star to Spurs and Real Madrid legend Luka Modric.

Berbatov’s comments come amid increasing scrutiny over Wirtz’s start to life at Anfield following his record breaking £116m summer move from Bayer Leverkusen.

Berbatov urges patience with Florian Wirtz and compares him to Luka Modric

Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, the Bulgarian star urged patience for the 22-year-old, whose initial spell in the Premier League has seen him fail to register a goal or assist in domestic competition.

He said: “I love him. He’s a fantastic player. He will be unbelievable, trust me. Hopefully, he will be patient. Hopefully, he’ll have good people around him, agent, family, whatever. Hopefully, the coach sees his quality like everybody sees him. I’m sure that everybody sees his quality, and they’ll give him that time that he needs to fit into the team. And I guarantee you, he’s going to be a success.”

Berbatov went on to compare the German with Luka Modric. He defended Wirtz’s relatively slight build, often cited as a concern for the Premier League’s physicality.

“The way he sees football, how he looks for the space, how he knows how to position himself, the touches on the ball, the improvisation, the eye for the pass and for the goals,” he explained.

“Of course, someone can argue that his physique is not that great for the Premier League. But then you can easily see the great players of his position, like Modric, also the same build. Modric. F****** monster. It’s unbelievable. So give him time. I think he’s going to be unbelievable for Liverpool.”

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Luka Modric’s Premier League legacy at Tottenham shows why Wirtz can succeed

Luka Modric’s time in the Premier League with Tottenham remains one of the most fondly remembered chapters of his glittering career.

The Croatian maestro joined Spurs from Dinamo Zagreb in the summer of 2008 for around £16.5 million, arriving as a highly rated playmaker but facing questions about whether his slight frame could withstand the physical demands of English football. It didn’t take long for Modric to silence his critics.

Initially deployed in a more advanced midfield role, Modric truly flourished once Harry Redknapp shifted him into a deeper position, allowing him to dictate the tempo of matches.

His exceptional vision, technical precision, and ability to control games from midfield quickly made him the heartbeat of Tottenham’s system.

Modric’s passing range and composure under pressure brought a new level of sophistication to Spurs’ play, traits rarely seen in English football at the time.

For Wirtz to draw comparisons to a player of Modric’s calibre is a huge compliment and a testament to his natural talent. Many within the footballing world, including ex-professionals and current players, believe that Wirtz will eventually thrive at Liverpool once he adapts to the pace and intensity of the Premier League.

However, his slow start has already sparked speculation about his future at Anfield, with some reports linking him to potential interest from abroad.

Still, as Berbatov insists, Wirtz’s technical brilliance, creativity, and intelligence make him far too talented to fail in the long term.

However, the slow start has sparked speculations over his future with the Reds.

The post Former Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov says Liverpool midfielder reminds him of Luka Modric appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Former Liverpool midfielder Didi Hamann has made a shocking claim about the future of Florian Wirtz, suggesting that the club’s record signing could be loaned out to Real Madrid as early as January.

Wirtz joined Liverpool in a blockbuster move from Bayer Leverkusen during the summer, but the German international has struggled to adapt to life at Anfield under new manager Arne Slot.

Florian Wirtz tipped to leave Liverpool in January

Real Madrid continue to be linked with a move for Wirtz, despite his slow start at Liverpool. And Hamann has refused to rule out the possibility of a potential loan move in January for the German.

Speaking in an interview with ESportsBets (via GOAL), Hamann suggested that the notion of a high-profile player being loaned out, once unthinkable, has become plausible in modern football, citing Philippe Coutinho’s temporary move to Bayern Munich shortly after his huge transfer to Barcelona.

Hamann said:

“Top players didn’t get loaned in the past. A loan was for players who didn’t get a game, but the top players didn’t get loaned. It probably started with Philippe Coutinho a few years ago, when he went for 140 million or something to Barcelona. And a year later he was loaned out to Bayern Munich.

“I wouldn’t rule anything out in today’s world, especially in football. It’s been reported that Xabi Alonso has asked Real Madrid to keep an eye on Florian Wirtz’ performances and what he does at Liverpool, I reckon it could be true.

“Because we know how fondly he talks of him. He was the reason they won the league, they won the cup. He was the heartbeat of the Bayer Leverkusen team with Granit Xhaka, and yeah, they keep an eye on him. He’s too good to fail at Liverpool, but it’s been about 10 games now. You can never rule anything out.”

“In my time, Juan Sebastian Veron came to Manchester United as potentially the best midfielder at the time. He lasted one season. So you can never rule anything out. It’ll depend on what happens in the next few weeks. But as I said, at the moment I wouldn’t rule anything out, and if Real Madrid are keeping an eye on him, it could happen.”

Why Florian Wirtz has struggled to make an impact at Liverpool

Wirtz’s early struggles at Liverpool can largely be attributed to the drastic tactical change from his role at Bayer Leverkusen under Xabi Alonso.

At Leverkusen, Wirtz was the creative heartbeat of the team — operating as a left-sided No.10 in Alonso’s 3-4-2-1 formation, where the play revolved around him.

His teammates, particularly Granit Xhaka, were explicitly instructed to find him between the lines.

This gave him the high-volume possession needed to build rhythm, dribble past opponents, and execute his trademark killer passes.

But at Liverpool, Wirtz is not the heart of the team and has been tasked with a different role.

His average touches per 90 have dropped notably, and crucially, his role demands significantly more off-the-ball running and defensive pressing.

The physical nature of the English top flight is a another factor. Wirtz has been seen getting easily out-muscled and easily pushed off the ball in early Premier League fixtures, a common stumbling block for technically-gifted players transitioning from the Bundesliga.

However, despite his struggles, there remains no doubt about the quality of the player. He is regarded as one of the best in his positions in the world, and there is a reason why the likes of Real Madrid remain interested in signing him.

The post “You can never rule anything out”: Liverpool summer signing tipped to leave the club on loan in January appeared first on CaughtOffside.