The transfer summer window always has a way of singling out a particular club to be torn to bits; a club that outperforms expectations and reveals that it’s squad is laden with exemplary players. This year, it seems to be RB Leipzig’s turn to be stripped for parts as Europe’s elite look to their best players as reinforcements for their own respective endeavors.
We already knew that Leipzig, and the Bundesliga in extension, were set to lose Christopher Nkunku to Chelsea. It also seems like Manchester City will shortly have their hands on Croatian international Joško Gvardiol. The focus of our attention today however is on Hungarian international Dominik Szoboszlai, who has made the move to Liverpool.
Like the other player’s mentioned, the loss of Szoboszlai will make the Bundesliga one talented player poorer, while enriching and enhancing a Liverpool team in the midst of a rebuild. To put this into perspective, let’s take a look at the type of player Szoboszlai is, at his core.
In the words of his former coach Julian Nagelsmann, Szoboszlai is the epitome of versatility. When asked about his former player, Nagelsmann was quick to highlight Szoboszlai’s ability to play multiple positions: “He can play at different positions in attacking midfield. He can play in attacking midfield, as a left-sided attacker or even out wide on the left wing. He can also do the same on the right. In Salzburg he operated as a No. 10 a lot, and as a left-sided No. 8.”
Dominik Szoboszlai a great asset for Jürgen Klopp and Liverpool
The utility of his versatility is only amplified by his inherent talent – there aren’t many players that can excel at the highest level in multiple positions across midfield. Hence Szoboszlai is far from your average “utility” player, but more of an adaptable powerhouse ready to slot in and start in multiple positions when called upon. This will make him a great asset for Jürgen Klopp’s side.
One of the main strengths of Szoboszlai’s game is his ability to progress the ball forward and propel his team in an attacking sense. When compared to players who have occupied a similar role in their respective teams over the last year, Szoboszlai has excelled in terms of passes attempted (55.59) as well as his progressive passes (5.49) per 90 minutes on the pitch. His pass success percentage is also quite strong, sitting at an overall 80%, putting him in the 80th percentile overall amongst player’s from Europe’s top 5 leagues. These numbers indicate that he will likely be one of Liverpool’s most creative outlets going forward.
Szoboszlai’s tally of six goals and eight assists over the course of 31 Bundesliga appearances last season doesn’t fully do justice to how important he was for Leipzig this season, as even when he wasn’t scoring he remained an important part of what Leipzig did well on the pitch. He has been an absolute weapon from set pieces for both Leipzig as well as the national team. This is only one part of his creative arsenal however, as he also has a great passing range from open play. His positioning and overall ability to create chances is highlighted by the numbers around his shot creating actions, 5.09 per 90, which puts him firmly in the 91st percentile for this metric over the course of the last year.
Szoboszlai is no slouch when it comes to dribbles, either. The Hungarian international has shown that he can take on opponents with ease, which enhances the player’s ability to get into space to play a final, decisive pass to a teammate or to take a shot on goal himself. If his early time at Leipzig had not been marred by injury, he would have likely had an even larger impact on Leipzig’s general success over the last few years.
With Liverpool paying Leipzig a €70m fee for Szoboszlai’s release clause, it’s a relatively safe bet that the club will likely invest the funds quite astutely into the squad. They will have money to burn and look set to make some top signings, but this will not take away from the fact that many of the players that make up the core of this team have been, or will be ripped away from them. This will undoubtedly destabilise the team until some semblance of synergy is built with the new signings and they settle into the squad.
Szoboszlai will be a tough player for Leipzig to replace, and Bundesliga spectators will by and large be losing one of the most entertaining players to watch in Germany. Liverpool are gaining a true gem of a creative player that will likely be at the core of their midfield for some time to come. Expect Szoboszlai to be a success at Anfield and enrich not just the effectiveness of their play but also the general quality of their play from an entertainment perspective as well. While he’s been a wonderful watch to date, Szoboszlai will very likely take his game to the next level at Liverpool and really show the world just how special of a player he can be.
GGFN | Brian Szlenk
