Arne Slot believes Liverpool now have a player on their hands who could be worth £100m in the modern market – but while his change of position has been branded a “revelation” by Jamie Carragher, his superb form spells bad news for one of the Reds’ big summer signings.
Reds supporters will have felt down in the dumps when Trent Alexander-Arnold confirmed the worst-kept secret in football towards the end of last season when it was revealed he would be departing Anfield as a free agent to join Real Madrid. But as one door closed, another quickly opened at Liverpool, with Slot and Richard Hughes quickly wrapping up the €35m (£29.5m, $41m) of direct replacement Jeremie Frimpong.
A stylish operator, the Netherlands star produced brilliant numbers for Bayer Leverkusen, thriving under the management of Anfield cult hero, Xabi Alonso.
Having started the season as Liverpool’s first-choice right-back, a hamstring injury sustained on Frimpong‘s Premier League debut meant Slot was presented with an immediate challenge.
And after selecting Dominik Szoboszlai as cover there for the wins over Newcastle and Arsenal – the latter of which the Hungarian scored a stunning winner from a free-kick – Slot opted to keep faith with him in his new position for their most recent victory – a last-gasp success at Burnley.
His sublime form from right-back has now seen Slot rate the player in the £100m bracket, while Carragher has also been left stunned by what he has seen.
Speaking to the media to preview Wednesday night’s Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid, Slot stated: “If we sold Dominik Szoboszlai tomorrow, he would be worth £100m!”
Carragher, meanwhile, has also been quick to wax lyrical, telling Sky Sports: “He’s [Szoboszlai] been a revelation.
“He’s always split supporters really about his role in the team in midfield over the last couple of years, a big signing from Jurgen Klopp…”
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Where will Szoboszlai’s future be for Liverpool – and what about Frimpong?
Carragher insists that the right-back role really suits Szoboszlai’s game, adding: “There’s something about the full-back position, even though it’s early days, that I think does really suit him.
“He can still go into midfield, we see full-backs invert now, he’s got so much running capabilities, he can run up and down that line, he also adds a [bit of] height to the Liverpool team.”
So, what’s next for Szoboszlai, and will the Hungarian retain his place as a right-back in the weeks and months ahead?
Ultimately, we still believe Slot sees the former RB Leipzig man as part of a three-man rotation for roles in central midfield, alongside Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister, the latter of whom suffered an ankle injury and was forced off at half-time in that win at Turf Moor.
While Carragher rightly points out that his game is suited to playing there, Slot also knows his influence on games from the centre of the park in a scenario that somewhat reflects the dilemma Klopp had with Alexander-Arnold over the back end of the German’s reign.
However, what Slot boasts that Klopp arguably didn’t is quality cover and competition at right-back, with Conor Bradley now coming to the fore and presenting another dependable selection there, while it is also too soon to write off Frimpong.
But what the Netherlands star may have to get used to is the unexpected competition for his shirt from Szoboszlai, with the 24-year-old proving both his quality and incredible versatility.
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Meanwhile, Liverpool are ready to make a huge bid for a defender as a potential replacement for Real Madrid target Ibrahima Konate, according to a report in Spain – and it’s claimed the Reds have an alternative in mind to Marc Guehi.
Elsewhere, Liverpool’s interest in signing Michael Olise next year have confirmed by more sources. However, their chances of luring him to Anfield may hinge on progress over a new deal talks at Bayern Munich and amid claims that the Reds have three other transfer targets on their radar.
And finally, Liverpool have been encouraged that a deal to sign an ‘unflappable’ Premier League star could be on the cards amid claims of a 40% cut to his asking price, with TEAMtalk assessing whether his signing would be a smart move.