Julian Brandt: ‘For me, he is our best player by far’
Julian Brandt has backed Florian Wirtz, calling his Liverpool compatriot Germany's best footballer. The Ajax midfielder believes criticism of Wirtz's performances since his multimillion-euro move to England has gone too far.
Asked on the Spielmacher podcast what he thinks of Wirtz, the former Borussia Dortmund midfielder needs little time to answer. "For me, he is Germany's best player. By far!"
Wirtz moved from Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool for €125 million in the summer of 2025, but struggled for a long time to meet expectations. Goals and assists did not come, and criticism grew in England. Some former footballers even suggested he should leave Liverpool.
Brandt believes that talk is far too premature. "I don't even think he needs to change clubs, despite all the rumours now circulating." The Ajax star considers Liverpool the right club for Wirtz, but knows how hard it can be to change perceptions. "But once you've been given a certain label, it isn't easy to shake it off."
With 48 caps to his name, Brandt particularly admires how Wirtz moves between the lines and resolves difficult situations on the pitch. He has no doubts about his compatriot's qualities, though he accepts the playmaker is not a typical Premier League footballer.
"The typical Premier League player is someone who is strong in one-on-one duels, can impose himself physically and can power a ball into the top corner," Brandt explains. "Wirtz, by contrast, is an elegant player. When he runs, his heel barely even touches the ground. He is essentially on the balls of his feet all the time."
Even so, Brandt sees no reason Wirtz cannot become one of England's outstanding players. "In my eyes, he isn't the prototype of a Premier League player. But I think he has everything he needs to become one of the best there. And again: purely on the basis of his qualities, he is the best for me."
In recent weeks, Wirtz appears to have slowly found his feet at Liverpool. After providing an assist against Brentford (1-2), the playmaker, whom Arne Slot brought to Anfield a year ago, scored his first goal of the season against Villarreal (4-3) last week.
