Xabi Alonso believes Liverpool are starting to reap the rewards of Florian Wirtz, something they anticipated following his high-profile transfer. As they prepare for the cup tie at Anfield, the Chelsea manager spoke warmly about the midfielder, with whom he enjoyed a successful stint at Bayer Leverkusen.
Alonso is set for a return to the stadium of his former club in the fourth round of the League Cup.
Should the German recover in time from his ankle injury, he could feature for Liverpool in the match.
The Chelsea boss has a deep understanding of the midfielder, having worked alongside him during their time in Leverkusen.
During the 2023/24 season, they secured both the Bundesliga title and the DFB-Pokal together.
Alonso commented:
I can only speak about the time I spent with Flo at Bayer.
Of course, the period we worked together in Leverkusen is one of the main reasons why I am here today.
The Spaniard specifically highlighted Wirtz's impact on his own development as a coach.
He was a special player.
He helped me tremendously, and I learned a lot from him.
After Wirtz's move to England, Alonso continued to keep a close eye on his performances.
Now that he is at Liverpool, I still follow him closely.
We know that the next step in a player’s career is always fascinating.
And now he is gradually reaching the level expected of him.
Wirtz transferred from Bayer to Liverpool in the summer of 2025 for €125 million (£116 million), turning down offers from Bayern Munich and Manchester City.
His first season in England has been a mixed bag, finishing with seven goals and ten assists, but expectations for one of Germany's top talents were undoubtedly higher.
Liverpool also experienced a disappointing season, which hampered Wirtz’s adaptation to the Premier League.
Following the departure of Arne Slot, the club appointed Andoni Iraola as manager.
Since the new boss took charge, Liverpool have hit form, sitting fourth in the Premier League and third in the Champions League table.
Wirtz himself has also improved, contributing three goal involvements over the last four matches: scoring against Villarreal and assisting in the games against Brentford and LASK.
Prior to this uptick in form, the German faced criticism, with Uli Hoeness suggesting he should have opted for Bayern instead of Liverpool after leaving Bayer.
However, Alonso remains confident that his former charge is slowly adapting to this new phase of his career.
Liverpool head into the match against Chelsea on the back of four consecutive victories, while the Blues will be hoping to bounce back from their defeat to Tottenham as they strive for a place in the League Cup quarter-finals.
