Liverpool have their very own Eden Hazard who Arne Slot can't wait to unleash

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been told that £116million signing Florian Wirtz can be his very own Eden Hazard. There is huge excitement over the German playmaker just weeks ahead of his Premier League debut.

A British-record fee saw the Premier League champions land their No. 1 target, beating Bayern Munich to the signing of Bayer Leverkusen's prized asset. Wirtz's performances in Germany made him one of the world's best attacking midfielders. Slot will be desperate for the 22-year-old to fit seamlessly into his system ahead of Liverpool's title defence.

Former Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant believes Wirtz is Slot's very own Hazard. If Liverpool's new signing has anywhere near the impact the Belgian did at Chelsea, then the £116m fee will be fully justified.

Pennant told Adventure Gamers: "If I had to compare Florian Wirtz to a past Premier League player stylistically, then I'm thinking someone like Eden Hazard. If you think back to the players the league has had in the past, then Hazard sticks out as someone who plays like him. The way he wants to dribble and jinx past players, his through balls, the way he can score with his left and right foot - there are a lot of similarities.

"If you look at someone like Kevin De Bruyne, he was a different kind of player to Wirtz - he was more of a visionary with great IQ passing and long-range shooting. I therefore think if there's one player Wirtz reminds me of, it's Hazard."

Wirtz was convinced to snub a seemingly inevitable move to Bayern Munich in favour of joining Liverpool following discussions with Slot. And the Reds' new No. 27 will play a key role in the Dutchman's system.

Speaking shortly after his signing was confirmed in June, Wirtz said: "The conversations were always really good. I can remember the first time, he already showed me some scenes of how we want to play and how I could fit in the team. He was just telling me that I'm a player he really wants to have in his team and can bring the team a step forward.

"I just could imagine it [being] good to be in the team and to make it better because I have to make my performances every week - but I'm here for this."