Florian Wirtz might be getting better at Liverpool, but let’s be real, there’s a new playmaker ready to absolutely take over, and he’s only 17 years old. It’s not been the smooth ride everyone expected for Wirtz since he landed at Anfield, despite all the promise he brought with him. There’s another kid in the pipeline, already making waves, and his name is AJ Yeguo.
Wirtz Hasn’t Lived Up to the Hype. Yet.
Honestly, Wirtz came to Liverpool with sky-high expectations, and it’s tough to say he’s delivered on those consistently. Yeah, he’s had some flashes of brilliance, some truly great performances, but those have been seriously outweighed by some utterly disappointing ones. It’s a shame, because at Bayer Leverkusen, it felt like Wirtz was on a bullet train straight to the top of the game. He’s young, sure, and he still has time to get there. But what’s holding him back? A playmaker needs the right guys making the right runs, right? Wirtz has had to get used to playing with a whole bunch of different attackers, a wide myriad of styles. That’s gotta mess with your rhythm. Plus, a lot of the time, the team just can’t seem to find Wirtz in the sweet spots. It’s no coincidence he plays better when Trey Nyoni and Jeremy Jacquet are out there; those two are known for their line-breaking passes and finding him in perfect positions. Then there’s the whole “not growing up in England” thing, needing time to acclimatize to English football. It’s a hurdle.
The 17-Year-Old Phenom Taking Over Anfield’s Future
Here’s where it gets wild. AJ Yeguo? He doesn’t have any of those acclimatization problems. This kid has been in Liverpool’s academy since he was tiny. He’s even repped both Poland and England at the youth national team level. We’re talking about a 17-year-old attacker who’s absolutely catching eyes with his playmaking ability. Yeguo put on a great cameo for Liverpool’s U19 side in the UEFA Youth League against LASK, and he’s been straight up impressing in the U18 Premier League, bagging two goals and three assists in just six appearances. He’s not just creative either; he’s quick and physically strong. That combo of creative flair and raw physical qualities doesn’t just make him an incredible playmaker, it could make him even *better* suited for the Premier League than Wirtz.
So, what does this mean for Liverpool going forward? You’ve got Wirtz, still finding his feet, and then you’ve got this 17-year-old academy product who already seems tailor-made for the league. If you’re a Liverpool fan, you better be keeping a close eye on the youth ranks because AJ Yeguo is the real deal, and he could be running the show at Anfield a lot sooner than anyone expects. The future, with this kid in it, looks absolutely electric.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply