Leverkusen fan on another forum:
I rate him very highly. Wirtz is the best player in the history of the club. I'm not sure who I'd put second but whoever that may be, Wirtz is at least two levels ahead of him.
His passing and ball control are among the best in the world right now if you ask me but his standout quality is his football IQ. A few years ago, DAZN has made a documentation about him in which they show that he scans the pitch almost as often as Messi and Xavi. Sometimes it seems as if he has eyes in the back of his head because he seems to always know where every opponent and team mate is. I think many have seen his highlight videos by now so most will know his dribbles and through balls but what those videos don't show is what he provides outside of that. If you watch for instance the compilation of all his touches in the 0:4 loss against Liverpool, you see how adapt he is at progressing the ball under pressure. He finds solutions even in very difficult situations, usually not only to retain possession but also to create space for others. He's also a tireless worker against the ball and was among the best attacking players in terms of distance covered, intensive runs, etc. in the Bundesliga the last few seasons. Finished the recent season as second in terms of duels won among all players. Where he can definitely improve is his finishing. He's scored some very difficult volley and long shots and has shown that he has much composure in front of the goal but especially his long shots often lack velocity. Additionally, he could get himself into more scoring positions. Also topped the last two seasons in terms of woodwork hits so he's probably a bit too precise. He can also improve in terms of core stability and upper body strength.
Havertz was a very different type of player. Rather the one to retain possession well, play a good through ball here and there but his biggest strength compared to similar players was his ability to arrive late in the box and score. Musiala is a similar player but still very raw. His vision, awareness and decision making are not close to Wirtz' but the talent is there. His dribbling is very different in style. Musiala bends and twists in incredible fashion to squeeze himself and the ball through opponents. Wirtz is rather the type who exploits when you give away space or misplace a foot so he can catch you off balance, using nutmegs and stuff like that. But both are among the three to four players in the world right now who I'd see as the best at beating multiple players at once and dribbling in a straight line towards the goal. Musiala can force that more than Wirtz, though.
There are many exciting talents in the world right now. Yamal is the obvious case and I think he is the most talented right now, ahead of Wirtz as well, but I'm not sure how Mastantuono, Estevao, Endrick, etc. will compare to them. But as a top club, Wirtz would have been my #1 target this summer as well.
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The mental gymnastics fans of our rivals are doing now to play this down as a massive waste of money is a joy to behold.
