A surprise statement ignites speculation surrounding the Liverpool and Barcelona star
Florian Wirtz, the Liverpool star, has been linked with a move to Barcelona, this time from Germany through Oliver Bierhoff.
Bierhoff reckons Wirtz would be a perfect fit for the Catalan side, and especially for a team run by German coach Hansi Flick.
Sport published his remarks, made to Sport Bild, on the future of the German international.
Bierhoff said: "I would see him as a very good fit with Hansi Flick at Barcelona. There he would find the space and brilliant team-mates in footballing terms."
Those comments sparked huge interest in Germany. Wirtz remains one of the most prominent names in the country's football, and his adaptation at Liverpool is being watched closely.
Wirtz arrived at Anfield after becoming one of the Bundesliga's biggest stars, a player tipped to define an entire era with the national team.
Barcelona's footballing environment, Bierhoff believes, could suit Wirtz's qualities in particular. The player needs to be heavily involved in building up play, to receive the ball between the lines and to combine with talented team-mates around him.
For that exact reason, the former German international feels Flick's style and the technical quality of the Barcelona squad could give him the ideal setting.
There are, however, no open negotiations between Barcelona and Liverpool. Wirtz is tied to a long-term contract at Anfield, and prising him away would demand an enormous financial outlay. Bierhoff's words should be read as a footballing assessment, not an announcement of any transfer.
His name has long drawn Barcelona's eye all the same. Even before his switch to the Premier League, many of Europe's biggest clubs were tracking him, Barcelona among them, following his development closely during his Bayer Leverkusen days.
Bierhoff knows both Wirtz and Flick well from his time with the German national team. That is why his verdict carries real weight when he weighs up the kind of side that could get the best out of the midfielder.
