Liverpool signed Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen last summer for around £100 million, with bonuses potentially pushing that figure to £116 million.
Things did not click straight away for the 22-year-old though and he had to wait until the week before Christmas to register his first Premier League assist.
Despite that, he had already created 25 chances for teammates that went unconverted before that point.
Since then though, Wirtz has genuinely found his feet at the club.
He and Hugo Ekitike have combined for more goals in all competitions in 2025-26 than any other Premier League pair.
Moving from Germany to England was always going to be a big adjustment, and not just on the football pitch.
Wirtz grew up in Pulheim, a small town just outside Cologne, where a train station sign still proudly declares him as a local hero.
His move to Leverkusen kept him only 15 kilometres from home, close enough that family life stayed pretty much the same.
Liverpool is a completely different story as it is a new country, a new language, a new culture and one of the most intense football cities on the planet.
So his recent admission in a WDR interview raised a few eyebrows.
Wirtz casually revealed that he does not actually live in Liverpool. He said “I live a bit towards Manchester” and reports suggest he has settled in Altrincham.
Wirtz about life off the pitch:
— FlorianFlicks (@FlorianFocus) February 27, 2026
"Well, I don’t live in Liverpool. I live a bit towards Manchester. Also cool. Yeah, I definitely like it here. And every now and then I cook, though usually my girlfriend does. Phew. But it’s definitely a place you can enjoy living." pic.twitter.com/a61xDijqY8
That leafy suburb has become the go-to residential spot for Premier League footballers across the north of England.
Some Liverpool fans expressed theatrical horror at the news. Others were quick to point out that this is really not a big deal at all.
@thisjoyfulhavoc – Manchester 🤮 but like it is very close to Liverpool especially including Greater Manchester and Merseyside.
@FlorianFocus – most of Liverpool players live there tho
@WadeAndy4 – Hale Barns I presume
@adrianjustone – North of England It’s a beautiful place to live , one of the best on the planet .
@mikeH147YNWA – He lives in altrincham. Like loads of the lads do
@jtavares25 – why does this only happen when talking about Liverpool players. most United players live in Altrincham, Alderley Edge as well, not Moss Side
@stoicauritra – Judging on comment section next time they gonna act surprise when Liverpool players use Manchester airport instead of Liverpool
The sensible majority agreed that where Wirtz sleeps at night is completely irrelevant. Where he puts the ball on a Saturday afternoon very much is.
