To some extent, Wirtz has become a victim of his own transfer fee—signed for a figure that set a British transfer fee record at the time. Even though he is still young (he was only 21 in May), having moved to another country and in the process of adapting to a new team and league, there are still expectations for him to make an immediate impact.
Wirtz himself has stated that he is not worried about the transfer fee. Although Liverpool claimed victories in their first five games of the season—albeit not always convincingly—his slow start did not become a controversial topic. However, amid the team’s recent two defeats, he has inevitably faced doubts from the outside world.
Wirtz provided an assist for Hugo Ekitike in the August Community Shield match against Crystal Palace, but in official competitions, he has become the subject of the "007" joke on social media—a joke referring to his lack of goals and assists in his first seven games for Liverpool (this number has now risen to eight).
Across all competitions this season, including the FA Cup final (a fixture between FA Cup champions) held at Wembley Stadium, Wirtz has created 21 chances. Among Premier League players, only Jack Grealish—who is on loan from Manchester City to Everton—can match this tally.
