What Dominik Szoboszlai brings to Liverpool

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Dominik Szoboszlai was confirmed as Liverpool’s second signing of the transfer window, completing a 70-million Euro move from Red Bull Leipzig after the Reds activated his release clause hours before its expiry in late June.

Szoboszlai has joined Argentinian Alexis Mac Allister in leading Liverpool’s midfield rebuild, with the Hungarian set to play on the right-hand side of midfield.

He ticks all of the boxes of a typical Liverpool signing under Jurgen Klopp, with his age, versatility, athleticism and mentality perfectly fitting into the demands of their new system.

At 22 years old, Szoboszlai is yet to hit the prime of his career which is a scary thought considering the impact he has had at Red Bull Salzburg in Austria, and their sister club Red Bull Leipzig in the Bundesliga. He provided 102 goal contributions in 174 senior appearances in club football, quite a high number for someone of his age.

His versatility is underrated, in addition to his favoured attacking midfield position, he is able to play on both wings, as a false number nine and a central midfielder. This is perfect for the Reds who will need a replacement for Mohammed Salah when he departs for the African Cup of Nations in January 2024.

Szoboszlai’s main role will be as the right-sided attacking midfielder, a position that was filled by Jordan Henderson last season. The club captain’s offensive limitations were clear as day with this role demanding better quality in the final third – a quality Henderson could not provide. Szoboszlai is no stranger to this position having played a majority of his football last season for Leipzig in this role under Marco Rose, providing 23 goal contributions. Compared to Henderson’s three all season, this is a massive game changer.

In addition to his creativity, the Hungarian is also an exceptional long-range shooter and set-piece specialist. This will take pressure off Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson to provide, as well as add a threat not seen since the departure of Steven Gerrard.

Overall, what is exciting about Dominik Szoboszlai’s arrival is his ability to change a game almost single handedly. He is capable of scoring long-range goals, has an excellent passing ability, is a menace with the dead-ball and is as versatile as they come. His price tag may seem steep, especially for a team that is as limited by their budget as Liverpool, but make no mistake, Dominik Szoboszlai is one of the most exciting talents in Europe and will succeed in the Premier League.

Photo: Twitter @BenBocsak

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Dylan Johnson