Dietmar Hamann has tipped Liverpool star Florian Wirtz for a loan move to Real Madrid in the January transfer window.
The Reds signed Wirtz from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth £116m just four months ago but he’s struggled since his arrival.
The 22-year-old attacking midfielder has not registered a single goal or assist for Liverpool across his opening nine Premier League games.
Wirtz has performed better in other competitions, with two assists in three Champions League matches and also assisting in the Community Shield defeat to Crystal Palace in August.
But the Germany international has so far failed to find the same form he enjoyed at Leverkusen, where he had 122 goal contributions in 197 games.
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Former Liverpool and Germany midfielder Hamann thinks Wirtz could be heading to Real Madrid to link up with his former manager Xabi Alonso.
‘Top players didn’t get loaned in the past,’ Hamann told ESportsBets.com. ‘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.’
‘Florian Wirtz could’ve had success at Bayern’
Hamann added: ‘Florian Wirtz could’ve had success at Bayern – but I liked that he didn’t choose the easy way.
‘He could have gone to Bayern, won the league, and perhaps played a decent role in the Champions League.
‘If he had gone to Munich, I think it would have given them a better chance to be successful in the Champions League, even though they are doing well at the moment. He’s a tough kid, and as I said, one or two games can make all the difference. I still haven’t given up.’
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