Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has launched a scathing attack on Liverpool's £116million summer signing Florian Wirtz.
He described the German international as looking "like a little boy" during Sunday's 3-0 defeat at Manchester City.
The pundit insisted it was time to stop "tiptoeing around" the 22-year-old midfielder and face reality about his struggles at Anfield.
Following the match at the Etihad Stadium, Neville said on his podcast: "Wirtz is a problem. Let's just call it as it is. It's an issue."
The criticism marks a significant escalation in scrutiny for the former Bayer Leverkusen star, who has failed to register a single goal or assist in 11 Premier League appearances.
Neville highlighted how the record signing was "mauled" by Manchester City's Matheus Nunes and other players, being "chucked around the pitch" whilst failing to deliver quality.
The pundit drew comparisons to his recent criticism of another player, stating: "I said a few weeks ago [Milos] Kerkez looked like a little boy out there. Today I thought Wirtz looked like a little boy. That can't be the case."
Since his British record-breaking transfer from the former Bundesliga champions, Wirtz has struggled to adapt to English football's physical demands.
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has launched a scathing attack on Florian Wirtz
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His lacklustre display against City compounded concerns about his inability to influence matches in the Premier League.
Neville had previously suggested the midfielder was "trying too hard" and appeared "naive" despite his obvious talent.
He told NBC Sports that Wirtz "almost moves towards the ball too much" and lacks the patience to find space between defensive lines.
Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger also criticised Liverpool's handling of the situation.
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Liverpool signed Florian Wirtz in the summer for £116 million
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He claimed the club "destroyed their midfield" by accommodating Wirtz's demand to play as a number 10.
"To play Wirtz, they took Szoboszlai out," Wenger told beIN Sports, arguing that manager Arne Slot disrupted the successful partnership of Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai from the previous season.
Despite the harsh criticism, Neville maintained that Liverpool must persevere with their expensive acquisition, acknowledging the player's undeniable technical abilities.
"He's obviously got something, he's a really good player, he's technically fantastic," the pundit conceded, whilst emphasising the need for improvement.
Gary Neville described the German international as 'looking like a little boy' during Sunday's 3-0 defeat at Manchester City
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The former England international stressed that Liverpool must help develop greater resilience in the German international.
He said: "They've got to get him up to speed, they've got to get that little bit of tenacity into him."
Neville concluded that persistence was essential.
He argued: "What they have to do is stick with him and persist," despite acknowledging Wirtz currently falls "well short" of expectations for top-level Premier League football.