'He has proven': International manager says Liverpool have someone who really can 'play in any position'
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Nobody in the Liverpool squad has arguably been as good as Dominik Szoboszlai so far this season.
After two years in which he has steadily grown in importance to the Reds, Szoboszlai is beginning to really stand out at the start of his third term.
Never short of game time under Jurgen Klopp or Arne Slot, the Hungarian is finally starting to assert his dominance and live up to his £60m price-tag.
Billed as Liverpool‘s eventual successor to Steven Gerrard upon signing in 2023, Szoboszlai has since shown himself to be a versatile performer.
Like Gerrard once did, the No.
8 has been deputising at right-back, with excellent recent performances against Newcastle and Arsenal showing what a mouldable footballer Szoboszlai is.
Hungary fans have known this for far longer, of course, and their manager, Marco Rossi, has now made a bold claim about what he sees as his captain’s best position.
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
One of the biggest dilemmas for Slot this season will be where to fit Szoboszlai in his starting XI.
The 24-year-old may well be behind Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Florian Wirtz in the midfield stakes, but his hard running and game intelligence are also crucial to the team.
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Right-back may be an option, as Szoboszlai has already proven.
But according to Rossi, it is in Gravenberch’s deeper-lying position that the former RB Leipzig man can really begin to shine.
“Dominik Szoboszlai’s defensive play was positive,” the Italian told Origo after Szoboszlai played in defensive midfield against Ireland on Saturday.
“After the sending off, we switched to a 5-3-1, so we could no longer put pressure on the opponent.
“He can play in any position, as he has proven in the Premier League, but we think he can be one of the best in the world in the number six, defensive midfield position.”
Despite Rossi’s claims, Szoboszlai has never looked completely at home when tasked with being one of Liverpool’s two deep midfielders.
SeasonAppearancesGoalsAssists2023/2445742024/2549882025/26411Dominik Szoboszlai at Liverpool
He has certain skills which can be useful in the position, but occasionally lacks the defensive awareness and discipline needed for the role.
With Gravenberch becoming one of the best around over the past year, it is unlikely that Slot will decide to swap him for Szoboszlai any time soon.
Nevertheless, Mac Allister may be the man who finds himself most at risk from Szoboszlai’s good form, and perhaps the Hungary captain could flourish in the No.
10’s slightly more attacking role.
What is clear is that Szoboszlai is currently going through a moment.