He is the Premier League’s most notable acquisition thus far; a future star in the middle of the field with an audacious quality to go along with a stats-leading work rate.
Yet when Liverpool quietly revealed the signing of the £60 million Hungary captain, Dominik Szoboszlai, it went largely unnoticed.
There were even questions as to why the Reds had paid so much for a relatively unknown player, but Jurgen Klopp and his recruitment team knew a great deal about him and were well aware of the skills the manager thought he could use in a new position at Anfield. The 22-year-old is among the top five in the Premier League for mileage traveled and currently holds the third-fastest speed mark in the league.
With a goal Klopp referred to as a “grenade,” his shooting talent against Leicester was on full display for all to see. All these abilities were awakened by playing in a different position as a “No. 8” at Anfield, but the manager said that the guy he calls a “beast” had never played there before.
He did not, in my opinion, play the position he does for us at Leipzig. It is extremely interesting to observe how quickly he adapts and improves since he played on the wing, as a No. 10 more inside, (but with us) as an eight, a six, and a double six as well, the manager said.
Klopp was brave to use him deeper with Alexis MacAllister from the beginning, sometimes even in a double pivot that has unlocked what looks the bargain of the season. And the Reds boss is excited to discover what else there is to come from a player still only 22.
“That is really good, we have things to still find out and the signs are really positive,” he said. “We knew about him, he played for Salzburg against us, and for Leipzig too. We knew he has an incredible skill with his shooting…and that is now obvious!
“It is not that you look too much, but it is clear we were looking for an eight and names came up, watching the videos it was pretty impressive, super impressive.
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