Even Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso couldn't believe it. After watching Florian Wirtz dance through a crowd of SC Freiburg defenders in October 2023 to give his side a precious lead on their way to the Bundesliga title, the former Spain international simply raised his eyebrows on the touchline.
It was a quiet acknowledgment of Wirtz's brilliance, and Alonso's sentiments were echoed after the match by Freiburg coach Christian Streich, who simply claimed: "You can't defend against Florian Wirtz."
That hypothesis will be tested more rigorously than ever before next season following Wirtz's £100 million move (plus £16m in add-ons) from Leverkusen to Liverpool.