Stamford Bridge by Jürgen Klopp, the Hungarian almost repaid the manager’s faith straight away with a debut goal.

A clever mazy run, waltzing past Chelsea defenders, saw him break into the box and ready to pull the trigger, but instead, it was Diogo Jota who

intervened and took the shot, scuffing his effort wide to rob Szoboszlai of the chance to unleash a shot of his own.

Liverpool has regrets about that moment, but overall this was a very lively and positive debut from the $77m (£61m/€70m) Hungarian in which he

showed plenty of reasons just why he is a perfect fit for Klopp.

One of the most notable features of his game was his ability to cover a lot of ground in that right-sided midfield role and protect Trent Alexander-

Arnold in return.

In total the Hungarian made eight recovery runs and was often shielding and pressing the space in front of Alexander-Arnold, which would have

previously been left exposed by Szoboszlai’s predecessors.

A second reason was his tactical flexibility and versatility. Starting out on the right side of midfield, Szoboszlai ended the game on the left wing

when Klopp decided to tweak his team, and even there the Hungarian never looked out of place, comfortable and at ease in possession and even

providing a few dangerous moments putting in crosses into the Chelsea box.

But undoubtedly, one of the key moments from the game was the corner he delivered which seemed to brush the hand of Nicolas Jackson and almost

ended up in the Chelsea net. It could easily have led referee Anthony Taylor to point to the spot, but the official decided against doing so and the VAR

agreed.

Szoboszlai has already shown in pre-season his corners could be a major threat for Liverpool with the Reds scoring from three of his deliveries in four

games. And it could have been four in five if Jackson intervened a little bit differently.

This is something that has already been a feature of Liverpool’s game under Klopp. Last season as per FBref, the Reds scored the joint most goals

(nine) from dead-ball situations alongside Fulham.

Szoboszlai will only add to that threat making him fit in like a glove already.

From his pressing and contributions off the ball to his versatility and his set-piece specialty, Klopp seems to have found a player who was pretty much

tailor-made for him, almost as if he was made in a lab for the way Liverpool like to play.

There will be much more to come from him in the games ahead, but Chelsea was a good indicator of what to expect in the coming years.

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Liverpool transfer news: Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has provided an update on Moisés Caicedo, as FSG looks into another promising

defensive midfielder.

Liverpool and Chelsea were afforded brief respite from the Moisés Caicedo transfer drama via the novel medium of a game of football. The two sides

got their Premier League campaigns underway without having finished their summer business, and it showed at times in a wide-open 1-1 draw.

Not a bad point for either side, with Liverpool away at a top-six opponent and Mauricio Pochettino feeling his way into life at Chelsea, it nonetheless

underlined the importance of the Caicedo chase. One way or another, FSG will need to equip Jürgen Klopp with a high-level defensive midfielder,

and it seems an alternative has become a player of interest.

That being said, Liverpool has not yet been conclusively ruled out of the Caicedo race. As of the last concrete update, Klopp’s side was still the only

one to have a bid accepted, an agreement the boss confirmed in a press conference that seems as though it was weeks ago. Both managers were asked

for updates after the Chelsea game.

Moisés Caicedo (Brighton)

New Chelsea boss Pochettino will no doubt reflect on a decent first afternoon in the Stamford Bridge dugout. Held to a draw by Liverpool, it was

nonetheless a performance full of far more promise than what was on show for most of last season.

Neither side was at where it wants to be yet in terms of preparation, with Caicedo dominating pre-match headlines. Pochettino and Klopp both saw

their need for a defensive midfielder exposed at times, and the battle for the most sought-after option in that position has been fierce, with multiple

twists and turns.

Sky Sports got hold of Pochettino after the game. Asked if there was an update on the situation, he provided the latest state of play:

“No, at the moment we know nothing. We are working so hard — the moment that something happens, we will inform you.”

The same question was put to Klopp, and he was even more blunt: “No. No news.”

Liverpool.com says: No real update, then, as this one drags on far longer than expected. The Brighton ‘deadline’ feels like ancient history, while

the Chelsea ‘dream’ of unveiling him at half-time against Liverpool has come to nothing too.

While continued delays at this point only favor Liverpool, it does still feel as though Chelsea is massively in the driving seat. And Pochettino did

admit that the club is ‘trying hard’ to seal the deal — not news, but more than his tight-lipped assessment in the pre-match press conference.

Ibrahim Sangaré (PSV)

If Liverpool does not get Caicedo, it will need to find a very adept alternative. Among the most mentioned names is Roméo Lavia — although it seems

Chelsea is in for him too, albeit with an update from 90Min that claims FSG is prepared to match the offer from the Blues.

Missing out on both players would be a real mess. But one potential solution is Ibrahim Sangaré of PSV, long touted for a move to a top club. In a real

case of the transfer rumor grapevine, ESPN Netherlands reports an update from Sangaré’s agent’s brother. He claims that Liverpool is interested in a

transfer, along with Bayern Munich and PSG.

Liverpool.com says: Even without the degree of separation from the representative himself, any update from Sangaré’s agent clearly needs to

be taken with a pinch of salt. Nevertheless, it’s a move that would make quite a lot of sense.

At 25, Sangaré would bring a degree of steely experience that other options cannot offer. Admittedly, that comes outside of the very top leagues,

although he has a healthy amount of Europa League minutes to his name.

His numbers stack up. A well-rounded midfielder, he is nonetheless undoubtedly a defensive specialist, and it’s easy to imagine him in

the Fabinho role. With a release clause of ‘around $41m (£32m/€37m)’, he could be the closest thing to value on the market.