German national team coach Julian Nagelsmann strongly defended Florian Wirtz after he failed to score or assist in the match where Germany defeated Luxembourg 4-0.

Wirtz, the playmaker, faced criticism in England due to what some considered a slow start to his career with Liverpool, after his transfer from Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth $155 million, making it the most expensive transfer in the club’s history.

After the World Cup 2026 qualifying match, Nagelsmann told reporters: “He did well. He tried a lot. He was unlucky with one or two chances. But that is not his fault.”

Wirtz missed a scoring opportunity when his shot hit the crossbar in the second half, and the German coach expressed his confusion over the criticism directed at the player in England.

Nagelsmann said: “He is still the player who creates the most chances in the Premier League. If other players fail to convert those chances into goals, it negatively affects his stats. But that’s not even a third of the truth.”

He added: “I see him completely free. Wirtz is a player who knows well what he can do and understands how things work in the football world.”

The German team, leading Group 1 in the qualifiers on goal difference, will face Northern Ireland the day after tomorrow, Monday.

Nagelsmann said: “Once he scores three goals, he will become the king of transfers. Currently, he is just an expensive player. That’s how things are, but he doesn’t care about that.”