This week has seen mixed fortunes for some of Liverpool’s potential summer transfer targets in the under-21 Euros. Ryan Gravenberch’s Netherlands side are heading home after three successive draws, and France midfielder Manu Koné left the stadium on crutches after suffering an injury.
Current Reds star Harvey Elliott impressed, scoring a great goal in England’s victory over Germany.
The latest talented European midfielder to be linked with a big-money move to Anfield is Hungary captain Dominik Szoboszlai. The 22-year-old RB Leipzig star has held talks with LFC officials, according to David Ornstein of the Athletic. Szoboszlai has a release clause of around £60million which expires on July 1st. Newcastle United are believed to be rivals for his signature.
On the latest episode of our Journo Insight show, we asked experienced LFC journalist Neil Jones for the inside scoop on Szoboszlai.
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Neil said:
“Skill-wise, what he’s got – he’s a runner, he’s a passer, he’s a creator. I saw Jesse Marsch compared to David Beckham in the way he crosses and passes the ball. I’ve seen him compared a little bit to Kevin De Bruyne – not two bad names to be compared to!
“Liverpool have… you could say ‘played down’ or you could actually say ‘flat out denied’ really. Whichever way you want to look at it. The feeling is that Newcastle was where he was going to go.
“They’ve met with his representatives. I don’t know if it was this week or previously, but they’ve met with his representatives to gauge the situation. I’m not convinced that what came out of that meeting was as encouraging as it could have been from a Liverpool point of view.
“I think you could make a very fair argument that his skill set doesn’t fix the issues that Liverpool had last season. Their issue was that they didn’t control games well enough, they didn’t have a physical presence, and they didn’t get around the pitch as much. They didn’t have the legs or the tactical nous to dominate the midfield. I’m not convinced that Szoboszlai fixes that.
“I haven’t yet had any inkling that Liverpool are making any progress. I think he’s a good player and I think he would be a very interesting signing for Liverpool. I hope this clip is getting shared on Monday of me looking stupid because I’d like to see Liverpool have this player!”
Redmen Reacts
It would be disappointing to miss out on a talented player to Newcastle United, but the combination of massive financial clout and Champions League football may be enough to convince the Hungarian to move to the northeast. Whilst Szoboszlai does not fit the profile of some of the more physically imposing midfielders linked with the Reds, the prospect of an exciting attacking midfielder with an impressive goal return joining the ranks is an enticing one. With the exception of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool do not offer much threat from distance, so a player with the ability to arrow shots into the corner like Kevin De Bruyne could take some pressure off the forward line when it comes to goalscoring. With his release clause expiring very soon, there should be some movement in this transfer story in the near future.
TO HEAR MORE FROM NEIL ON THE LIKES OF LAVIA, CLICK HERE
