John Barnes feels Dominik Szoboszlai is tailor-made for Liverpool and believes the £60 million Hungarian would not have enjoyed the same success at Premier League rivals Arsenal or Manchester City.
After all the pre-season hand-wringing that followed missing out on Mason Mount and Moises Caicedo – both targets for Liverpool before joining Manchester United and Chelsea respectively – it seems that Jurgen Klopp could yet have the last laugh.
As Mount struggles to force his way into the United XI, and as Caicedo underwhelms at Stamford Bridge, Dominik Szoboszlai already looks a genuine bargain. And that’s saying something, considering he cost an eye-watering £60 million.
Few players have made such an immediate impact since arriving in the Premier League of late, Szoboszlai’s drive, intensity and delicious ball-striking helping to rejuvenate a Liverpool engine room which spluttered it’s way to a fifth place finish in 2022/23.
Dominik Szoboszlai a Liverpool favourite already
Anfield legend John Barnes, speaking to talkSPORT, feels that Liverpool and Szoboszlai are a marriage made in footballing heaven, questioning whether the more controlled approaches favoured by Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola would suit the former RB Leipzig ace as well as Klopp’s brand of furious chaos.
“Szoboszlai has been incredible. That’s how good the scouting is, because Liverpool sign players who will suit the way Liverpool play. I don’t think he’d suit Man City or Arsenal, and he probably wouldn’t go there!” Barnes argues.
“From the first time I saw him, he was just incredible. He could play anywhere. He reminds me of Steven Gerrard to a certain extent. You don’t necessarily get box-to-box midfield players who can defend, who can attack, but that’s what he does.
“I’ve been so impressed with him and he’s level-headed. He’s 22, (and) he’s been fantastic. He’s been our best player.”
‘Reminds me of Steven Gerrard’
Szoboszlai, a target for Liverpool since his Red Bull Salzburg days, has two goals and two assists from 17 appearances, those numbers only scratching the very surface of his impact.
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