Manchester City famously missed out on the signing of Florian Wirtz this summer.
Wirtz snubbed Manchester City because it is believed that he was unconvinced about their future as a club after Pep Guardiola’s contract expires in 2027.
Guardiola’s side brought in Rayan Cherki, who held talks with Arne Slot as their alternative to the German.
So far, the Frenchman has certainly outperformed Florian Wirtz in the Premier League — as the former scored against Wolves in what was a truly dazzling cameo from him off the bench.
- READ MORE: Florian Wirtz’s father has just revealed how ‘serious’ Man City were about signing his son
Steven Gerrard says Rodri is better than Florian Wirtz
Manchester City News revealed Pep Guardiola was keen on signing Wirtz but as he signed for Liverpool , their fans will be hoping that he goes on to become a legendary midfielder at Anfield like Steven Gerrard.
For the Bundesliga winner to be regarded the best midfielder in England, he will have to outperform the likes of Rodri, Declan Rice and Bruno Guimaraes to name a few.
Speaking to ESPN UK, Gerrard was asked his thoughts on the best midfielders in the Premier League.
Steven Gerrard felt Rodri was the best of the best, claiming he is superior to Wirtz currently: “One’s a [number] 10 and one’s a six, it’s very different. Love Wirtz, very excited to watch him but over a career so far, you’d have to go with Rodri.”
Florian Wirtz and Rodri career stats compared
Rodri, who Manchester City signed for £62.5 million is still the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, which highlights the standards he has set since making his way to the Premier League in 2019.
While both players’ goal and assist numbers cannot be compared as one is a defensive midfielder while the other is a number 10, their careers certainly can be.
| PLAYER | MATCHES | TROPHIES |
| RODRI | 454 | 12 |
| FLORIAN WIRTZ | 231 | 3 |
Steven Gerrard mentioned how Rodri’s body of work surpasses that of Wirtz so far and considering the Spaniard has played almost double the matches as the 22-year-old while winning far more trophies, the numbers back up the Liverpool legend’s claim.
While the former Bayer Leverkusen attacker is a special player, he still has plenty of room to grow to be mentioned in the same breath as the Manchester City maestro.
