When I watched him come to the fore last season, I was surprised that he was 17 because he was playing with so much maturity. The fact that he's also skilled on the ball genuinely makes him one of the most talented Leverkusen players in recent years. Typically, young players with skill on the ball have a tough time at the senior level because they have to learn how to apply their skill against the bigger, stronger, and more energetic players. With Wirtz, however, he came in and didn't show any sign of immaturity. There's a reason Leverkusen were okay with letting go of Havertz, and it's because of Florian Wirtz.
He came through Köln's academy and wasn't really given too much attention by the German football media. Leverkusen, however, kept their eyes on him, and when Köln were about to award him a professional contract, Leverkusen swooped in and swayed him with the promise of first-team football. Wirtz then signed for Leverkusen in January 2020, and a few months (and a lockdown period) later, he was playing first-team football as promised by Völler and co.
His footballing intelligence is personified by the fact that he can play in multiple positions and not look out of sorts. He started off as an attacking wing back and instantly impressed everyone with his intelligent positioning, high energy levels, and smart use of the ball. He wasn't going for difficult passes/crosses, and he wasn't constantly looking go on mazy runs. He knew when to play a quick pass, when to take on his opponent, when to cross, and when to take a shot. When he was put under pressure, he'd be able to wriggle away whilst keeping close control of the ball. He's not necessarily a quick or speedy player, but that doesn't mean that he's slow on the ball. He's like a boxer: fleet-footed with quick steps and constantly moving the ball with his feet. He may not be a very creative or expressive player, but when he plays his passes, they're typically on point and are never awkward or unexpected. Defensively, he works hard, but he doesn't seem aware of what goes on around him beyond the player on the ball. Because he's good at following instructions, he can play a part, but when he has to defend on his own accord, he is exposed. Having said that, this is expected of a more attacking player, which is why you don't typically see them play defensively.
As time has gone, he went from being a wing back to being a winger in a few weeks, and this season, he's mostly been playing as a box-to-box midfielder, where his skill set can be fully utilised. In that role, his decision-making comes to the fore, and he gives Leverkusen an added dimension with his smart ball usage. He links up the deeper midfielders to the more creative ones, and he often creates space by drawing players towards him with his dribbling. He basically is the cog that gets the most out of the more creative though less reliable players (Amiri, Bailey) and allows Demirbay to play as a playmaking midfielder without having to worry about defending as much. His workrate is important in Leverkusen's pressing game, and because he's smart and good at following instructions, he tends to play a part in winning possession back. However, when he's out of his comfort zone (i.e. when he's out of position or defending a counterattack), he makes more defensive mistakes. Bear in mind, though, that he's still a teenager, so he has time on his side in that respect.
In terms of his room for growth, he still needs to work on the following:
- Become more of a creative threat (play more accurate defence-splitting passes)
- Take more shots on goal (he's a good long-range shooter)
- Get into more goalscoring positions (become a true B2B threat)
- Improve his defensive awareness (not be tunnel-visioned towards the player on the ball)
I look forward to watching more of him, though. He really is a fun player to watch even if he isn't as exciting as players like Havertz, Werner, Sané, or Gnabry.
