When Dominik Szoboszlai could make his Liverpool debut
Injuries, incompetence, and ageing legs rendered Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool engine room a distinct weakness in 2022/23, but their midfield reshuffle is nearing completion.
An aggressive stance was expected to be taken by the Reds this summer in a bid to solve those aforementioned woes, and the club have wasted no time in going about their business.
Brighton’s Alexis Mac Allister was the first through the door and, for a while, it looked as if Khephren Thuram or Manu Kone would be next in. However, the club pivoted and moved efficiently to sign versatile Hungarian playmaker Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig.
Liverpool’s triggering of the 22-year-old’s release clause ensured the deal was completed in a flash, and many are excited about Szoboszlai’s prospects at Anfield.
Here’s how long Liverpool supporters will have to wait to see their shiny new star in action.
Liverpool’s new signing should report for the start of pre-season on 8 July with the Reds touring the Far East ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
However, they’ll take on Karlsruher SC in a friendly on 16 July and we should see Szoboszlai make his non-competitive debut for the club. After taking on Greuther Furth the following week, Liverpool face Leicester and Bayern Munich in Singapore.
Presuming he avoids injury, Szoboszlai will undoubtedly be in contention to make his official Liverpool debut on the opening weekend of the 2023/24 Premier League season. The Reds have a tricky contest first up as they take on Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday 13 August.
The Hungarian international will then have the chance to make his home debut the following week as Klopp’s side host Bournemouth at Anfield.
RB Leipzig’s first Bundesliga sighting of Szoboszlai came back in August 2021, when he climbed off the bench away at Mainz. The Hungarian wasn’t able to make much of an impact though, with his 26-minute cameo unable to prevent a 1-0 defeat. He did, however, score a brace of goals in his first home game – a romping 4-0 win over VfB Stuttgart.
Szoboszlai’s maiden outing for Salzburg, meanwhile, was as a fresh faced 17-year-old at Austria Vienna. A 33-minute appearance from the bench didn’t give him the best experience – Salzburg lost the game 4-0.
On the international stage, Szoboszlai again made his bow as a second half substitute. Mirroring the patterns of previous debuts, he ended up on the wrong side of a 2-0 loss to Slovakia.
Seeing his Reds shirt for the first time 🥰 pic.twitter.com/7lq25VkfY8
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 2, 2023
Szoboszlai will don the shirt of a Liverpool icon. Steven Gerrard’s number eight certainly hasn’t been done justice since his retirement, with the latest incumbent, Naby Keita, enduring a pretty torrid time of it at Anfield.
Keita has departed the club following the expiration of his contract, leaving the #8 shirt free.
It’s a shirt not yet worn by the 22-year-old in his career thus far. Szoboszlai is Hungary’s #10 and he previously wore #17 at RB Leipzig and #14 at RB Salzburg.