Whoever replaces Jesse Marsch at RB Leipzig – and all the signs suggest it will be former Schalke boss Domenico Tedesco – Tuesday night’s Champions League victory over Manchester City provided a timely reminder as to the talent he is about to inherit.
Around £120 million worth of footballing brilliance started as Leizpig hosted Pep Guardiola’s star-studded side. Among them, Bundesliga record-breaker Andre Silva, Germany international Lukas Klostermann and the mesmerising, newly-prolific Christopher Nkunku.
There are more gems at the Red Bull Arena than in the sunken bowls of the San Jose.
Dominik Szoboszlai, however, may be the jewel in Leipzig’s crown.
Just look at the way he opened the scoring against City. Racing onto a defence-splitting Konrad Lainer pass, the most expensive Hungarian footballer in history wolfed past Zack Steffen before rolling the ball into an empty net, all in one movement.
Moments like this have been few and far in Szoboszlai’s 11-month old Leipzig career.
Niggling injuries, and problems with regards to adapting to Marsch’s high-octane, 100-mile-an-hour football, haven’t helped but one would imagine that getting the best out of one of Europe’s most exciting young playmakers will be very high on Tedesco’s to-do list.
Did Arsenal miss out on Leipzig star Szoboszlai?
Less than a year ago, Szoboszlai was viewed something of a major coup for Leipzig – even if the wheels for his arrival were greased by the club’s relationship with fellow Red Bull outfit Salzburg.
Arsenal were one of a number of Premier League and continental giants who were heavily linked before his £18 million move to Germany.
According to The Mirror, however, Arsenal’s plan to pay Szoboszlai’s transfer fee in a series of instalments – a la Nicolas Pepe – did not go down particularly well in Salzburg.
Arsenal would sign Martin Odegaard a few weeks later.
And he hasn’t done too badly under Mikel Arteta, scoring in each of the club’s last two league games.
Szoboszlai’s moment of magic against Manchester City, however, was not just a reminder of the talent Leipzig have at their disposal – but also what Arsenal missed out on.
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