Liverpool ace Florian Wirtz has been surprisingly linked with a potential exit in the transfer market, with a Premier League rival among those monitoring his situation

Premier League side Chelsea is monitoring the future of Florian Wirtz, as a potential reunion with Xabi Alonso could be on the cards for the Liverpool star.

That is according to a report from TeamTalk, which claims that the former Reds midfielder, who is the manager at Stamford Bridge, has informed his club's hierarchy that the playmaker should be on its radar.

That is only if Wirtz becomes available, however, with any move from the Blues only likely to come if the 23-year-old is free to leave Anfield over the next year. It follows what has been a tough time for the Germany international since his move from Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool, after the Reds paid a huge fee to bring him to the Premier League.

The Merseyside outfit beat the likes of Bayern Munich to the attacking midfielder's signature, with the move being viewed as quite the coup. What has played out since hasn't quite lived up to that expectation, though.

In his first season, Wirtz struggled to settle into a team that was struggling with several different problems on and off the pitch, making it tough for him to make an impact and replicate the form that he had shown in the Bundesliga previously in his career.

While that was initially met with some patience from fans, that has started to wear thin among some of the supporters and pundits alike, as more questions have been asked of the star in the first few weeks of this season.

There have been more promising signs in the past week or so, with an impressive run of performances against LASK, Brentford, and Villarreal that provide some hope. However, there is still an acknowledgement that consistency will be key, especially against even tougher opposition.

Everyone of a Liverpool persuasion will want the move to work out for Wirtz, though uncertainty over his place in the team long-term has brought with it some questions about his future.

Bayern Munich has been linked with a switch, which would see the club act on previous interest in the German ace, while the interest from Chelsea at the moment has been described by the report as a "watching brief", to see what may happen in the near future.

Any move to Stamford Bridge would keep Wirtz in the Premier League, but back with a coach who knows how to get the best out of him in his career.

The midfielder has made 119 appearances under Alonso, more than any other coach in his career, which saw him score 38 goals and assist 43. While that came in the context of the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen, it was clear that the Spanish coach could build a team around him.

If there is still hope that a quality player is in there, then Alonso may be the best person to get that out of him. However, it remains to be seen whether Liverpool would sanction an exit at all, let alone one to a rival, while Chelsea may also need to consider the costs of such a deal.