Dominik Szoboszlai’s performances have been key to Liverpool’s title win in 2024/25, and there’s nonetheless thrilling potential for extra targets and assists. The arrival of Florian Wirtz may even assist, not hinder.
Nonetheless solely 24 years previous, the Hungarian has room for improvementthe which shall be keenly anticipated given how necessary his contributions have already been to Liverpool’s success.
The crew are set to have a brand new look in 2025/26 as Arne Slot brings in new recruits and begins to construct a crew for his personal period.
Quite than being pushed to the periphery, Szoboszlai may effectively play a key function within the try at a title defence and the problem for extra trophies subsequent season.
Dominik Szoboszlai, 2024/25
Began: 40 (All competitions)
On instead: 9
Unused sub: 1
Targets: 8
Assists: 8
Total Season Score: 7.8
Dominik Szoboszlai Is Very important Out of Possession
When Szoboszlai signed for Liverpool forward of Jurgen Klopp’s ultimate season, the notion was one among a participant whose approach and creativity would result in an attention-grabbing highlights reel of long-range targets and assists.
Not essentially a luxurious participant, however actually a refined one.
Throughout his two seasons on the membership, one other, maybe unheralded trait, has emerged and helped the crew win the Premier League title in 2025. This cultured participant got here with an engine.
In any case, Pink Bull groups are among the many most-heavily branded golf equipment on the earth, and the notion of that model is one among a tireless fashion of play that helps their function as power drinks entrepreneurs.
It’s common {that a} participant with an intense off-the-ball work fee would emerge from these golf equipment, and Szoboszlai’s time at Liverpool has revealed the extent to which that is, or could be, a part of his recreation.
Klopp not too long ago described Szoboszlai as “the perfect urgent participant in Europe proper now,” and Slot voiced comparable reward through the season.
“He doesn’t all the time get the credit score for the actual fact he’s essential for this crew as a result of his work-rate is unbelievable,” Slot mentioned following a 4-1 win at residence to Ipswich in January.
“He simply retains on operating with the very best depth, and that’s so necessary for a crew that desires to compete for one thing.”
This work fee in defence helped Mohamed Salah have among the best seasons of his profession and means the right-back could be extra attacking, which is able to nonetheless be useful when Jeremie Frimpong takes up this function within the coming season.
Szoboszlai’s attacking output might not appeal to consideration as typically because it ought to, however the out-of-possession work beneath that has been massively necessary to Liverpool’s success.
Discovering further in assault
If Szoboszlai can begin to replicate his RB Leipzig output to go alongside his work fee, he shall be among the best midfielders within the Premier League.
He reached double figures for targets in three of his final 4 seasons with Pink Bull (or Rasenballsport) golf equipment, and in addition reached double figures for assists in two of these. Double figures in both column is a feat he’s but to attain for Liverpool.
It doesn’t all the time really feel like Szoboszlai has underperformed when it comes to his attacking numbers; it’s extra the sensation that thrilling potential stays for him to enhance in that space.
A part of that anticipation lies in the truth that he wouldn’t have to do an excessive amount of further to take the subsequent step in assault.
Regardless of Slot’s tactical tweaks, Szoboszlai has labored in roughly comparable midfield areas throughout his two seasons at Liverpool.
What did change is a few of his final-third decision-making. It was a redesign linked to Slot’s techniques, which meant his pictures got here from a lot nearer to aim and his motion was within the ahead line as a lot because it was in midfield.
The shot maps beneath, from 2023/24 (high) and 2024/25 (beneath), present a rise in pictures from extra advantageous positions.
His anticipated targets tally (xG) additionally rose dramatically due to this, and he was third within the crew for giant possibilities created and anticipated assists in 2024/25.
Only a small enchancment within the ultimate third may flip him right into a star midfielder who modifications video games.
Does Florian Wirtz’s Arrival Affect Dominik Loboslai?
There may be hypothesis that Wirtz will change Szoboszlai because the No. 10 within the Liverpool XI.
Attacking midfield is seen because the German’s finest place and the membership will not be more likely to depart their file signing out of the crew too typically.
The pair may simply play in the identical lineup, although, and Szoboszlai’s function, which is extra of a right-sided No. 10 in a midfield three than a central attacker in a 4-2-3-1, permits some flexibility.
Szoboszlai may simply retain his function on the precise in help of Salah, whereas Wirtz operates equally from the left.
Whether or not this implies the German enjoying because the false-nine, left-sided ahead or replicating Szoboszlai’s function however on the left in what should absolutely have been termed someplace already as a double-10, stays to be seen, however there are quite a few choices.
One other a type of choices could be for Szoboszlai to drop deeper and play as a No. 8, much like the function Mac Allister has performed, working because the second midfielder within the staggered three with Wirtz taking Szoboszlai’s place because the third.
There are lots of choices and plenty of of them would accommodate Wirtz in addition to Szoboszlai in the identical XI, however on the identical time, Szoboszlai was one of many gamers who clearly drained in direction of the tip of the 2024/25 season, as he had additionally completed the season earlier than.
Subsequently, rotation choices and never counting on the identical gamers every week is nice for the crew.
It may imply they’re higher suited to staying longer in different competitions, because the depth will imply Slot trusts extra of his midfielders. Szoboszlai stays one among his most trusted.
Greatest second: Placing Liverpool 2-0 up at Man Metropolis, having already assisted Mohamed Salah for the opener.
Worst second: Not capturing when clean-through away to Aston Villa, as an alternative squaring to Darwin Nunez.
Function subsequent season: A troublesome query however we might anticipate him to be rotated typically with Florian Wirtz. Extra enjoying time in a deeper midfield function, too.
* Learn all our player-by-player season critiques right here
