One journalist has said that Liverpool landed a ‘bargain’ in the summer with one of the best signings made by any club during the transfer window.
Even as the Reds’ most expensive acquisition of 2023 for £60m (BBC Sport), Dominik Szoboszlai is already looking like he’ll prove to be tremendous value for money judging by his first few performances for the club.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Dean Jones has hailed it as a masterstroke coup, describing it as ‘under the radar’ given how quickly the Hungarian was signed in early July, rather than arriving after a protracted saga.
The journalist said: “I think Szoboszlai could prove to be one of the signings of the summer yeah. Because of the level of his deal, not being massive and not being small, it did kind of come through as one that crept under the radar.
“Even at £60m, I think Szoboszlai could end up being a bit of a bargain. He can play so many different roles within the team that I think will benefit Liverpool, that over the course of the season, you’re going to see what a fantastic all-round player he is.”
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Such has been the 22-year-old’s initial impact at Liverpool that he’s already drawn comparisons to the legendary Xabi Alonso for the manner in which he’s endeared himself to the Kop with his combination of fantastic technique and combative tackling ability (Neil Jones).
Szoboszlai’s first goal for the Reds was one to remember, exquisitely striking first-time from just outside the penalty area to open the scoring in last Sunday’s 3-0 win over Aston Villa.
Jones’ observation about the Hungarian’s ability to play in numerous roles is a fair one, too – he’s lined out all across the midfield and attack during his career so far (Transfermarkt), a versatility which could be incredibly useful as Jurgen Klopp attempts to manage his squad through a hectic campaign.
It’s a sign of the times that £60m signings are being perceived as bargains – just 15 years ago that would’ve been a world-record fee (Transfermarkt).
However, in the same manner that £67m for Alisson or £75m for Virgil van Dijk now looks like money very well spent, we could be talking about Liverpool’s outlay for Szoboszlai in equally hallowed terms.
#Ep89 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones🎙️