Liverpool has confirmed signing midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai from Bundesliga club RB Leipzig for 70m euros (£60m) on a five-year deal.
22-year-old Szoboszlai is now the Reds’ second arrival of the summer after Alexis Mac Allister made the switch from Brighton. Liverpool got the Hungarian’s signature after activating his Leipzig release clause before it expired on June 30.
Liverpool sees Szoboszlai was seen as a more viable alternative to Chelsea’s Mason Mount. The Reds were interested in the Chelsea midfielder as he entered the final 12 months of his contract, but he proved to be a more expensive option involving less straightforward negotiations.
Speaking to the club’s website, Szoboszlai said;
“The last three or four days went really long, it was not that easy. But at the end I’m here, I’m happy and I can’t wait to get started. A really historic club, really good players, good coach, everything is good. For me it was perfect to make the next step in a club like this. The fans, the stadium, everything is really good.”
Szoboszlai scored 20 goals and provided 22 assists in 91 games for Leipzig since joining in January 2021. He helped them win the German Cup and finish in the top four of the Bundesliga for the past two seasons.
A setpiece specialist with an eye for goal and the ability to play across the midfield, Szoboszlai will wear the No 8 shirt once worn by Liverpool great Steven Gerrard and recently vacated by Naby Keïta.
As for his international career, Szoboszlai has been capped 32 times for Hungary and was named their new captain last year following the resignation of Adam Szalai. His most notable goal for his nation came from the penalty spot against England as Marco Rossi’s side beat the Three Lions 1-0 last June.
In completing the next stage of their midfield rebuild by adding the signing of Dominik Szoboszlai to that of Argentine World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister, 24, last month, the Reds look to have used their funds wisely to combine quality with quantity.
Both new arrivals are seen as being first-team ready and signings for the long run.
