Liverpool secured the services of Dominik Szoboszlai in a £60 million deal from RB Leipzig in July, making him their second major signing of the summer, following Alexis Mac Allister’s £35 million transfer from Brighton & Hove Albion. While Mac Allister has enjoyed a promising start at Anfield, it’s Szoboszlai who has truly captured Merson’s attention.
The Hungarian national team captain has seamlessly integrated into Jurgen Klopp’s revamped midfield and made an immediate impact by scoring his debut goal for the club in a convincing 3-0 home victory against Aston Villa before the international break. This win has put Liverpool in a position to potentially top the Premier League table with a victory in their early kick-off clash against Wolves on Saturday.
In his Sportskeeda column, Merson expressed his admiration for Szoboszlai and shared an optimistic prediction: “The Premier League is back after what felt like one of the longest international breaks in history! The 2023-24 campaign may just be four game weeks old, but we’ve already seen a fair share of action and unexpected results, while a handful of new signings have laid down the marker for what’s to come.
“Dominik Szoboszlai has been the pick of the bunch, for me. I hadn’t seen much of the lad while he was at RB Leipzig, but I have to say I’ve been so impressed by him, he hasn’t had a bad game yet! He scored a worldie the other day and does a bit of everything; he’s going to be phenomenal for Liverpool in the coming years.”
Merson also offered his insights on Liverpool’s upcoming match against Wolves, considering the challenges posed by international breaks and player rotations. He noted, “A Saturday morning game after an international break is always a hard one to call as most players – at least from the so-called top six sides – go away to represent their countries. It acts as a bit of a leveller and is a huge advantage, so Liverpool will have to be wary of that.
“It’s particularly hard for South Americans like Alexis Mac Allister and Luis Diaz, but the Reds might be able to get away with rotating a few players. Mac Allister will probably start, but Liverpool can afford to bench Diaz as the likes of Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota – who both scored for their countries in the international break – are waiting patiently on the wings.
“Jurgen Klopp and Co have begun the 2023-24 campaign in good form but will have to carry on if they want to challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title. Wolves, on the other hand, have had a tough start to the season, so I can’t see them getting a result here. They don’t score too many goals, so even if Liverpool concede, they won’t find it difficult to outscore the home side.”
