Arsene Wenger has proclaimed that Florian Wirtz has "destroyed" Liverpool's title-winning midfield, with the Arsenal legend putting the blame on the £116 million ($154m) man for the Reds' struggles in this campaign. The former manager suggested that the club bent over backwards to accommodate his transfer demands and have paid the price for it ever since.Liverpool beat Bayern Munich to the signature of Florian Wirtz in the summer, paying a staggering £116m to secure his services. Expectations were enormous as the 22-year-old had been the creative heartbeat of Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen, who had raced to a historic Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double in 2023-24. Wirtz emerged as the chief contributor, and during his stint at Bay Arena, he racked up 57 goals and 65 assists in 197 appearances. But the magic that defined his time in Germany has vanished on Merseyside. In 14 games for Liverpool, Wirtz has yet to score and has registered just three assists, one of which came in the Community Shield. While Wirtz has struggled to find form, Arne Slot’s Liverpool have stumbled, suffering six defeats in seven matches before recovering with crucial victories over Aston Villa and Real Madrid.Wenger believes the problem began with Liverpool’s willingness to give Wirtz the central attacking role he demanded as part of his transfer. Speaking on beIN SPORTS before Liverpool’s Champions League win over Real Madrid, Wenger delivered a brutal assessment of the Reds’ troubled start to the season, pointing the finger directly at the £116m recruit."Liverpool is an interesting example," Wenger began. "When Wirtz had the choice between going to Bayern Munich or Liverpool, he said to Liverpool: 'I come to you if I play No 10. I do not want to play wide.' Liverpool, to get him, they say Okay. They started him and they destroyed their midfield - which was (Ryan) Gravenberch, (Alexis) Mac Allister, (Dominik) Szoboszlai. To play Wirtz, they took Szoboszlai out."After a dreadful run of results, Slot finally made the bold call to revert to last season’s midfield trio, and the turnaround was instant. Against Aston Villa, Gravenberch found the net in a 2-0 win, while Mac Allister found his mojo in a deeper role. Days later, in the Champions League, the Argentine scored the decisive goal against Real Madrid, sealing a vital 1-0 victory that rekindled hope at Anfield."What have they done against Aston Villa? They have gone back to their midfield of last year," Wenger said. "And tonight, they play Wirtz, but I'm sure that Wirtz will play on the side. The manager has said: 'If you want to play again, you will have to play wide because I do not want to disturb the midfield.' That will be interesting to see tonight. Wirtz is back in the team but certainly will have to play left, where he was when he played at Leverkusen."Wirtz was deployed on the left flank against Madrid, which was a role he occasionally filled at Leverkusen under Alonso. And though it’s not his preferred position, it could be his best route back into form. The challenge now, however, is that his new role overlaps with Cody Gakpo, who has been one of Liverpool’s most consistent forwards during their slump. If Wirtz wants to justify his enormous price tag, he may have to abandon his insistence on playing centrally and embrace the wide role that first thrust him into the limelight in Germany.  Not everyone has joined Wenger in criticising Wirtz. Alonso, who had mentored the young midfielder during their triumphs at Leverkusen, defended him in front of the media and even revealed how his performances in Germany helped shape his own career trajectory."I have no doubts, it's just a matter of time," Alonso said in a pre-match news conference. "It's a big chance for him, coming to Liverpool after so many years in Germany, and being there his whole life. He needs to adapt, but he's a really special player. He's competitive. One of the reasons I am here is because of Flo. Hopefully not tomorrow (Tuesday), but I hope soon he'll show his quality and his class."Liverpool’s next challenge is monumental as it would see them make a trip to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City. Their forward line is being led by an unstoppable Erling Haaland, who already has 17 goals in 13 games this season.