Slot's "statistical unicorn" is quietly becoming Liverpool's new Sadio Mane
Have we been given a glimpse into the real Liverpool? The win over Real Madrid in the Champions League this week certainly felt like a throwback to last season.
Arne Slot reverted to type. The midfield was comprised of Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch, that triumvirate whose connection and coherence proved so crucial to last year’s triumphant Premier League campaign.
Things have changed on the red half of Merseyside this season. Sweeping summer changes have reshaped the framework, and a by-product of this has been tactical imbalances and a lack of the fluency and sharpness that propelled the Reds into the ascendancy last year.
One of the issues predates this early-season slump by a long stretch. Six defeats from seven matches in all competitions before the recent upswing is inexcusable, and each corner of the system has been culpable, but there’s undoubtedly been something missing on the left flank, with Luis Diaz now playing elsewhere.
Liverpool miss the Colombian, but not as much as Sadio Mane before him.
Why Liverpool are still missing Sadio Mane
Liverpool are not so much missing Mane directly as his profile. Last season, Diaz scored 17 goals and supplied eight goals as he flitted between the left flank and a central striking berth. The Colombian was sold to Bayern Munich in August, like Mane before him, and now his presence is missed.
Diaz did a strong job in replacing Mane, but the Senegalese sensation will go down in history as one of the most dangerous wingers to have graced the Premier League, with his former international coach Aliou Cisse even describing him as “one of the best” in the world back in 2018.
Devastatingly dynamic and with an unending appetite for goals, Mane thrived across his years under Klopp’s wing, joining from Southampton for £34m in 2016 and forging one of Europe’s most iconic strike forces, alongside Bobby Firmino and Mohamed Salah.
Now, Liverpool have neither player in their mix. Cody Gakpo has most regularly played on the left wing for Liverpool this year, and while the Dutchman is a talented and multi-faceted player, he is not on the same level as Mane in his prime, and neither does he operate with the same electric movement as Diaz.
However, Slot may actually have found his own version of Mane in another Liverpool star, a player who is showing signs of real quality in a red shirt.
Liverpool's new version of Sadio Mane
Liverpool underwent a series of changes in the summer transfer market, and though the Alexander Isak saga dominated the final weeks of the window, much was made of Liverpool’s record-breaking £116m move for Florian Wirtz.
Hailed as a “statistical unicorn” and a “final third freak” by analyst Sam McGuire before first donning the famous Liverpool jersey, Wirtz has not yet proved this is true on English soil, but he’s a work in progress, adapting to a new land, and we have started to see the first shoots of success in recent games.
Real Madrid marked the finest display of his Anfield career so far, and what a game to announce yourself in. Handed an 8/10 match rating by the Liverpool Echo, Wirtz was praised for his tireless work ethic and creativity. In the first half, the German created five chances for the hosts, as many as the entire Los Blancos team.
But, whereas Mane impressed across his start to life at Liverpool, posting 13 goals and seven assists across 29 matches in 2016/17, Wirtz is still yet to break his duck after 15 fixtures.
But this man’s underlying quality is indisputable. He is a world-class talent. And, as per FBref, he ranks among the top 5% of Premier League attacking midfielders and wingers for progressive passes and shot-creating actions, as well as the top 11% for chances created per 90.
Understandably, many think the 22-year-old should have offered more so far. In some ways, they are right. But Liverpool have been a curious case this season, and the frosty tactical conditions have made it difficult for such a player to dovetail in and fire on all cylinders from the get-go.
Attacking midfield
174
51 (58)
Right winger
12
4 (5)
Centre-forward
11
4 (4)
Left winger
11
2 (3)
Central midfield
5
0 (3)
He might not be the same sort of clinical and direct player as Mane, but Wirtz proved on the left flank against Real Madrid that he can play a leading role in a Liverpool team questing for all the biggest prizes.
With Szoboszlai in such jaw-dropping form and Liverpool looking altogether more polished and effective with last season’s blueprint implemented in the engine room, there’s a case to be made that Wirtz could play in Mane’s old role with regularity.
He surely has the robustness and wide-ranging arsenal to fulfil his duties in that area with confidence and clarity. This is one of the most talented footballers in the world, after all.
Now, we must wait for the £195k-per-week talent to find the consistency in his performances that will lead to a country-wide recognition of his quality in a similar fashion to Mane before him. This will take time, of course, but with the Reds starting to look like a well-oiled unit once again now that issues have been ironed out, Wirtz could go from strength to strength.
Sometimes, patience is needed from football fans. Wirtz will come good. So good, in fact, that he might leave a legacy at Anfield that is on a level with Mane, that superstar winger who achieved so much in red.
Slot has just found the new Gini Wijnaldum in "special" Liverpool star
Liverpool produced a show-stopping performance to send Real Madrid packing in the Champions League.
ByAngus Sinclair Nov 7, 2025