When Liverpool secured the services of Dominik Szoboszlai for £60 million early in the summer, it was seen as a brilliant move for the present and the future. At 22, but already an international captain, he was seen as someone that could take the midfield to the next level.
Following a second strong outing in the Premier League for the Hungarian, the future does indeed look tremendous.
Szoboszlai has not looked out of place as concerns about his ability to transition to the English game have so far proven for naught.
While normally a true attacking midfielder, the current situation at Anfield has asked more from him and he has responded. He is routinely snapping into tackles and blocking shots as his hunger to win the ball back has shown through from minute one.
This box-to-box style has not hampered his prowess going forward either. He has been seen carrying the ball forward with intent on multiple occasions and were it not for Diogo Jota lashing at the ball, he might already have a stunning goal under his belt.
On Sunday against Bournemouth, he was responsible for two of the 3 goals. He won the penalty that would eventually be finished by Mohamed Salah and his confident long range effort was parried into Jota’s path for the 3rd.
His confidence and comfort level within the side is growing each and every day which could mean the future will be full of these kinds of performances.
If the Reds are able to secure a long-term solution for the defensive midfielder spot alongside Wataru Endo, it could unleash a new level for Szoboszlai.
His link-up play with the attack in the early going is nice to see. With the extreme fluidity among the front three, it is not always easy to get on the same wavelength right away.
Something we already knew before he arrived was his free-kick ability. However, seeing it in action for Liverpool is another story. He is now another threat to use on corners or from dangerous areas.
Trent Alexander-Arnold has had a sluggish start to the campaign but this has largely been mitigated by Szoboszlai playing so well in his role.
His fancy footwork on the ball will clearly keep giving Premier League defenders trouble as we move forward and his ability to see the field so well could be key to breaking down packed defenses in the future.
The only thing missing from his fine start is getting on the score sheet but the way he is trending, you would not be surprised if he bagged one against Newcastle United.
While he can still get better, he and Luis Diaz have been the most consistent performers for Liverpool in the early going this season. It’s nice to see the club getting a swift return on their investment from the new Liverpool No. 8.
The challenge now is to keep his head down and pushing on with his teammates. The more comfortable he gets, brilliant things could be on the horizon.
Let’s start with a third straight good outing against The Magpies.