Liverpool continue their summer spending by signing Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig for €70 million. He joins Alexis Mac Allister, another summer signing of €42 million from Brighton Hove and Albion, as the Reds look to strengthen their midfield ahead of next season.
With the departure of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner, Naby Keita, Fabio Carvalho, and Arthur Melo, the Reds have started to rebuild in the midfield area, and more signings are expected to be made before the window closes. Furthermore, the Merseyside club have been linked with another midfielder Roman Lavia in a bid to head into the season with enough squad depth.
Jurgen Klopp dreads the AFCON and has previously talked down on the competition. With another one coming up in January 2024, the German may be forced to look for an alternative for his star man Mohamed Salah.
Liverpool’s Secret Salah Alternative Revealed
The Reds boss came under fire for terming the AFCON ‘little tournament’ in 2021. “In January, there is a little tournament in Africa, I just want to say, and I think Asia is playing some games too, South America as well. Great, can’t wait,” the charismatic manager said at the time.
Although he would later come out to apologize for his remarks, this only showed how much Klopp viewed the AFCON, and understandably so. The tournament is usually played in January, in the middle of the season, leaving managers who have African players in their squads with a headache. At the time of the remarks, Klopp had Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah.
The signing of Dominik Szoboszlai could well be the ideal solution to this problem, albeit temporarily. While Liverpool do not have a shortage of attacking players, Szoboszlai could play a huge role in the absence of Mohamed Salah in January. Besides being an established midfield player, the Hungarian is versatile and can be deployed on the flanks.
Liverpool can also count on Harvey Elliot, Diogo Jota, Cody Gakpo, and Darwin Nunez to step up in the absence of the Egyptian playmaker.
Where is Dominik Szoboszlai From?
Liverpool paid a hefty sum to sign Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig. Still, before his adventure in Germany, the Hungarian previously turned out for Red Bull Salzburg, where he helped win three Austrian Bundesliga titles and two domestic cups.
His time at Leipzig was also a success, as he won two DFK Pokals with the club in three seasons. Szoboszlai also captains his country, a role he assumed in November 2022. This is huge for Liverpool as they have another leader in their team following the departure of senior players like Bobby Firmino and James Milner.
Should Klopp deploy Szoboszlai to the flanks in Mo Salah’s absence, or should other attacking players be given the chance to impress?
