Former Liverpool star and current pundit Jamie Carragher has called for Liverpool to drop big-money signing Florian Wirtz due to poor club form in the attack.

Despite costing €125 million just over one year ago, Wirtz has scored just five Premier League goals for Liverpool, and has yet to get off the mark this season.

He has also struggled to create chances for his teammates, with just five league assists since joining the Anfield club as well.

With Cody Gakpo, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexander Isak all out due to injury, even more attacking responsibility has fallen on Wirtz's shoulders, but he failed to deliver against Manchester City in their recent 3-0 defeat, registering just two shots and two chances created in 66 minutes before being yanked after Liverpool fell down a man.

After the match, Carragher said he thinks the club has to take the 23-year-old off the field, even given the injuries they face up front.

"I think he needs to come out of the team, I said that last time out and I'm going to say it again," Carragher said on Sky Sports after the game concluded.

"I said Liverpool played well today for a lot of the game before the [Ryan] Gravenberch red card but they didn't create a chance, so Liverpool have a real problem this season with scoring goals and creating chances and that's what you bought Wirtz for. He's not giving you anything defensively and he's not giving you anything going the other way."

Carragher insisted his mentality comes from a footballing standpoint, and not a personal one, but something has to be done given the German's poor form.

"I don't want anyone to pile in on the lad or have a go but I just think we're justified in saying we need more and we can't wait.

"I went back and looked at players who were deemed not good enough for Liverpool in terms of going to win a league title or a European Cup but had real impact in those positions. Players like Nicky Barmby, Vladimir Smicer, Yossi Benayoun, Maxi Rodriguez, Yari Litmanen, Philippe Coutinho, Steven Gerrard, Steve McManaman.

"They've brought more to the table than this lad right now and I just think we're at a stage where we can't wait any longer. I think there's got to be a rebalance of the midfield to get goals and assists in there and to get legs, height and power in there. Gravenberch has to play in that team."

Gravenberch will miss one Premier League match through suspension after being sent off for a second yellow card, with their weekend visit to Brentford, so Wirtz could be needed for that simply out of necessity, but he could be rotated against either LASK or Villarreal in the Champions League midweek, and if he still remains in the doldrums, Andoni Iraola could consider benching him the following weekend against Brighton at home.

In another appearance on Sky Sports later, Carragher said he is worried that Wirtz may not improve. "The worry for Wirtz now is that his performances are so far, and what he's given Liverpool is so low, and what we expected is to take Liverpool to a title or a Champions League [title], the gap he's gotta get to justify what people were expecting is almost too big, he can't get there. Even if he improves a bit and gets there it's still not what Liverpool thought they were getting."