Ever earlier than he joined Liverpool two summers in the past, Dominik Szoboszlai was near agreeing a transfer to a different big of European soccer.
The 24-year-old is amongst many gamers to have labored their method by way of Purple Bull’s footballing meals chain, beginning off at Austrian ‘feeder’ membership Liefereng earlier than transferring to their Salzburg and Leipzig stables after which making the £60m change to Anfield in 2023.
Nonetheless, the Hungary midfielder – who produced one ‘outrageous’ move within the 2-2 draw towards Arsenal on Sunday – nearly ended up in Serie A when he was nonetheless simply a teen.
Milan Virtually Signed Szoboszlai in 2020
Zvonimir Boban was Chief Soccer Officer at AC Milan between June 2019 and March 2020 (having beforehand had a outstanding enjoying profession on the membership), and he’s revealed simply how shut he got here to securing a deal for Szoboszlai 5 years in the past.
Chatting with Switch marketthe Croatian mirrored: “Personally I went to shut Dani Olmo. They didn’t need to do it. It was January 2020. Every little thing was agreed, possibly one thing needed to be raised, however it was a deal price €18m plus €2m (in add-ons).
“We had additionally taken Szoboszlai. Every little thing was agreed – €20m (£17m) of the clause with Salzburg. Two operations that we might have concluded with the gross sales of (Krzysztof) Piatek and Suso. They denied these too and I mentioned to myself: ‘What the hell is that this?’”
(Picture by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Photos)
Milan’s loss has been Liverpool’s achieve as Szoboszlai follows acquainted path
Would Szoboszlai now be a Liverpool participant had Boban managed to signal him for Milan in January 2020? We’ll by no means know for certain, however on reflection it looks like a sliding doorways second which, in time, would lead him to Anfield (and subsequent rumours of £100m curiosity from Al-Hilal).
The Hungarian was then making a reputation for himself round Europe with Purple Bull Salzburg, for whom he really confronted the Reds twice within the Champions League that season, earlier than becoming a member of Leipzig a 12 months later.
The Rossoneri recovered from lacking out on our present quantity 8 by profitable Serie A in 2022, and had he been a part of that triumph, possibly he’d wouldn’t have needed to depart the San Siro for a while.
As a substitute, Liverpool utilised their well-established working relationship with RB Leipzig the next summer season by making a 3rd signing in six years from the Bundesliga outfit, with Szoboszlai following within the footsteps of Naby Keita and Ibrahima Konate.
Having helped himself to 14 targets and assists every over his first two seasons at Anfield and received the Carabao Cup and Premier League, we’re certain the 24-year-old can have zero regrets about how his profession path has panned out, and we will be pleased about Milan’s failure to shut a deal for him throughout Boban’s time on the helm.
