Liverpool have been tipped to sanction a surprise swap deal which would see Florian Wirtz join Real Madrid.
The Germany attacking midfielder moved to Anfield from German side Bayer Leverkusen for an initial fee of £100 million in July.
Wirtz’s signature was hotly pursued by the Reds, who beat Real and Bayern Munich to the coveted signing.
But he has yet to register a goal or an assist in any of his opening 11 Premier League matches for the club.
Wirtz has missed Liverpool’s last two matches due to a muscle injury sustained on international duty with Germany.
While the goal/assist statistics don’t entirely tell the story – he ranks 20th for chances created out of all Premier League players this season, and has continued to perform well for Germany – his form has come under increasing scrutiny over recent weeks amid Liverpool’s poor run of results.
And despite only being at the club for four months, former Barcelona, Valencia and Spain midfielder Gaizka Mendieta has claimed that Liverpool should send Wirtz to Real Madrid – in exchange for their reportedly unsettled forward Vinicius Junior.
Vinicius finished as the runner-up in the 2024 Ballon d’Or voting, but is said to be refusing to sign a new contract with Los Blancos due to his relationship with manager Xabi Alonso.
Ironically, Alonso has also been linked with a potential move to Liverpool if the club parts company with Arne Slot and the Spaniard becomes available.
Mendieta told Casinostugan: “Florian Wirtz and Vinicius Junior in a swap deal. Why not? Honestly, why not?
“I see more, obviously, of Florian Wirtz at Real Madrid than Vinicius Junior at Liverpool right now, but I think a swap deal could suit them.
“We’ve seen it before, when a coach has a soft spot for a player [Alonso with Wirtz at previous club Leverkusen], and they know they can get the best out of him, they want to work with that player again.
“He [Wirtz] was a leader at Leverkusen and although there are a lot of what ifs, we’ve seen it before.
“The question at Real Madrid would be what position he would play and who he would replace … it’s crowded, especially in midfield.
“Vinicius Junior could be a big success in the Premier League with the right support. When I mean support, I mean a club having faith in him. Obviously he’s a fantastic player.”