Dominik Szoboszlai is the most recent piece in Liverpool’s midfield reinvention, becoming a member of Alexis Mac Allister in what has been an distinctive summer time window for the Reds to date.
Since talks of an curiosity began gaining traction final week, as typically seen with Liverpool, they wasted little or no time in getting their man.
The Hungarian midfielder had a £60m launch clause with RB Leipzig which expired on Friday, and Jurgen Klopp’s facet struck a deal in time to convey him to Anfield.
In a summer time the place Liverpool had been priced out of a transfer for £88m Actual Madrid signing Jude Bellingham, Arsenal look to signal Declan Rice for £105m and Mason Mount closing in on a £60m transfer to Manchester United – the truth that the Reds have landed Mac Allister and Szoboszlai for a mixed £95m appears to be like like an extremely good piece of enterprise.
The Reds had held an curiosity in Mount, however had been delay by his price ticket given he solely has one yr left on his Chelsea deal. Mount can also be set to earn £250,000-per-week as soon as he completes his anticipated transfer to Manchester United, with Szoboszlai set to earn lower than half of that determine.
Liverpool have accomplished the £60m signing of Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig
The Hungarian midfielder will put on the No 8 shirt – synonymous with Steven Gerrard
Comparisons will likely be made with Mason Mount after Liverpool’s prior curiosity within the Chelsea star who appears to be like set to hitch Manchester United
Szoboszlai will likely be requested so as to add a distinct dimension to Jurgen Klopp’s midfield and the truth that he has been given their No 8 shirt – synonymous with Steven Gerrard – exhibits simply how essential a participant the Reds really feel he might be.
They may definitely hope his profession path goes down the identical approach as Gerrard, in comparison with the final man who wore the shirt. Naby Keita made an an identical transfer from the Bundesliga in 2018 however struggled with accidents and inconsistent type earlier than his departure this summer time.
Although he has spent his profession enjoying in Austria and Germany, he’s a reputation that English followers will concentrate on.
In addition to enjoying for RB Salzburg and Leipzig within the Champions League, he additionally starred in Hungary’s 4-0 win over England on the Molineux Stadium in June final yr.
That scoreline got here weeks after he scored the one purpose towards England from the penalty spot when the edges performed in Budapest.
In Szoboszlai, Liverpool have employed a correct set piece specialist with the Hungarian changing 15 of his final 16 penalties – although he can anticipate a battle on his fingers with Mohamed Salah for this specific function.
His free-kicks, lengthy vary targets and defence-splitting assists is one thing that only a few gamers in his place possesses – with Kevin De Bruyne being the plain poster star of those attributes.
Able to enjoying in midfield or out-wide, the teenager’s versatility might present an enormous enhance for the Reds within the 2023-24 season.
The 22-year-old can play in a variety of roles and formations and is a set-piece specialist
He’s the second midfielder to hitch the membership this summer time following Alexis Mac Allister
The signings of Szoboszlai and Mac Allister look set so as to add a brand new dimension to Jurgen Klopp’s midfield which struggled final season
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s emergence in midfield factors that Liverpool might persevere with a 3-2-2-3 formation firstly of the season.
On this formation, Szoboszlai and Mac Allister might type a partnership in behind the assault for Liverpool. From there the Hungarian would be capable of look to attain from midfield or launch the ball to gamers in additional superior positions.
The Reds might although additionally look to play Szoboszlai because the No 10 in a 4-2-3-1 system the place he performs forward of the likes of Alexis Mac Allister, Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Thiago.
Nonetheless, the 3-2-2-3 might work nicely for the Hungarian who performed 77 per cent of his video games final season working as a large proper attacking midfielder – fed by two deep-lying playmakers.
Julian Nagelsmann, his former supervisor at RB Leipzig, as soon as stated: ‘Dominik can play in a wide range of positions.
‘He can play in attacking midfield, as a left-sided attacker, and even out large on the left wing. He can even do the identical on the best. In Salzburg, he operated as a quantity 10 lots and as a left-sided No 8.’
Of 63 gamers to try 50 or extra crosses within the Bundesliga final season, Szoboszlai had the perfect cross success price at 40.7 per cent – one other argument in the direction of enjoying him on the best of midfield.
However irrespective of the place he performs he has a knack for scoring and creating targets – one thing which hasn’t been seen from a Reds midfielder for the reason that days of Phillipe Coutinho (when he did not play out large) or Adam Lallana.
Throughout his profession, he has scored 64 targets in 226 appearances, registering 73 assists. Final season, he netted ten targets for RB Leipzig – together with of their DFB-Pokal remaining victory – whereas registering 13 assists.
Comparisons will likely be made to Mount this season, given their similarities in enjoying place and given Liverpool held an curiosity within the England worldwide.
Opta stats although present that Szoboszlai can match Klopp’s ideology each bit as a lot as Mount.
| Stat | Mason Mount | Dominik Szoboszlai |
|---|---|---|
| Video games performed | 24 | 31 |
| Minutes performed | 1656 | 2452 |
| Targets | 3 | 10 |
| Assists | 6 | 13 |
| Possibilities created per recreation | 1.7 | 2.7 |
| Pictures heading in the right direction | 0.5 | 1.1 |
| Via balls accomplished | 0.4 | 0.6 |
| Fouls gained | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Floor duel success | 47.53% | 53.08% |
Mount is closing in on a transfer to Manchester United having beforehand been a Liverpool goal
The Hungarian averaged 5.6 recoveries per 90 minutes in comparison with Mount’s 4.7, whereas he additionally created extra possibilities at 2.7 in comparison with 1.7.
Szoboszlai additionally tried 0.6 by way of balls per recreation and averaged 2 accomplished take-ons.
It must also be famous that Mount’s struggles final season coincided with Chelsea as an entire. The yr prior, Mount scored 11 targets and registered ten assists within the Premier League.
In Szoboszlai they see a participant who matches the profile of participant they’re on the lookout for, with similarities to how he and Mount play the sport.
Pursuing the Hungarian as a substitute of the England worldwide might show to be a smart choice if he goes on to grow to be the participant all Liverpool followers would like to see. Although they might price the identical price ticket, they’re set to save lots of lots when it comes to wages on Szoboszlai in comparison with Mount.
One huge query nonetheless will likely be how rapidly Szoboszlai can match into the depth of the Premier League. A variety of signings from the Bundesliga lately have struggled, whereas the likes of Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo took time to seek out their toes at Anfield.
After his signing, Klopp described the 22-year-old as a signing ‘for our current and likewise for our future’.
It exhibits that the German is cautious Szoboszlai won’t be the in a single day reply and can take time to adapt.
However ever since RB Salzburg snapped him up on the age of 16 there have been indicators that he has a giant future within the recreation.
After Erling Haaland’s departure from the membership, he turned the Austrian’s facet point of interest incomes him the league’s participant of the yr award in 2020.
Speaking of the Man Metropolis striker, Szoboszlai’s former supervisor Jesse Marsch stated he was simply as proficient because the Norwegian.
He informed the Bundesliga’s official web site: ‘As expertise goes, there aren’t many higher gamers that may play his place.
‘Some are sturdy, some are technical, some are good tactically, and a few can defend nicely or run lots.
Szoboszlai has scored 64 targets and registered 73 assists in 226 profession appearances
‘Nonetheless, Dominik is particular as a result of he has all of those expertise mixed. Dominik is simply as proficient as Erling Haaland
He has gained a trophy in each season of his profession, together with the German Cup in back-to-back seasons with RB Leipzig.
Szoboszlai is now a part of a stacked midfielder with he and Mac Allister becoming a member of veterans in Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Thiago, in addition to children like Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott and Stefan Bajcetic.
However Szoboszlai supplies one thing totally different to all of these gamers and his technical qualities and attacking prowess might lastly be the reply to Liverpool’s lack of an out-and-out attacking midfielder.
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