BREAKING: Dominik Szoboszlai commits future to Liverpool with long-term extension

Liverpool have secured the contract extension of Dominik Szoboszlai on a five-year deal, committing the midfielder’s future to the club until 2031. 

The Hungarian international captain had progressed into the last two years of his previous deal with the Reds after the club triggered his £60m release clause at RB Leipzig. The decision to put pen to paper on a lucrative new deal will represent a a clear message to potential suitors that Liverpool have no intention of letting him leave. 

How has Szoboszlai become one of Liverpool’s most important players? 

The 25-year-old has already emerged as one of the club’s most influential players, kicking off his playing career for the Reds in 2023/24 for Jurgen Klopp’s final campaign. 

His progression with the Reds has far outstripped the initial expectations attached to his £60m price tag, as the numbers show. 

The set-piece specialist impressed in his debut season under the legendary German manager, and in an impressive first season for Arne Slot the Hungarian was a pivotal part of the midfield that brought the Premier League trophy back to Anfield for the first time in five years.  

That season, he tallied 16 goal contributions across all competitions, a figure that saw tremendous improvements in his last campaign for the club. Despite the team enduring one of its most difficult patches over the last ten years, Szoboszlai announced himself as a leader on the pitch and stepped up in vital times where other players were not performing up to standard.  

His influence stretched far beyond the Premier League. Slot maximised his versatility, deploying him both in midfield and in a makeshift right-back role during a period plagued by injuries and uncertainty. His importance was also evident in Europe, where the Hungarian finished as Liverpool’s leading goalscorer and assister in their Champions League campaign. 

To produce so many goal contributions for the Reds whilst being played with minimal positional consistency is a testament to how essential the Hungarian has proven himself to be and how the consistency of his own performances do not rely on team cohesion or system familiarity.  

The forthcoming season will be Szoboszlai’s fourth with the club since his arrival from RB Leipzig during the summer of 2023, and a first under head coach Andoni Iraola.

“It’s maybe my biggest day,” the No.8 told Liverpoolfc.com.

“There are a couple in front of it – probably when I signed for Liverpool the first one and when I got my baby, of course. But in my football career, I can say this is in the top three.

“Very happy. [I] can’t wait to go again and again and again. I’m just happy to be here, as I said many times.”

Could the Liverpool no.8 be the next vice-captain? 

Given how crucial Szoboszlai has turned out to be, the confirmation of his new deal is both relieving and generates excitement for his future at the club, especially under new management.  

With several of the club’s most seasoned veterans leaving the club this summer, with the likes of Andy Robertson moving to Tottenham Hotspur and Mohamed Salah departing the club, a rift has found its way into the leadership group at Anfield and the role of vice-captain has opened up.  

After Virgil Van Dijk had announced that he would share his own opinions on who should be his new second-in-command, the former Leipzig man has been widely touted as a potential option.  

“There’s always more to come. I’m never happy,” the 25-year-old said.

“No, I’m happy with myself but I think I can do even better. I think that’s why I’m sitting here, because that pushed me since I was a kid: that it was never enough. And I’m thinking the same now.

“I want to set the example. I want to be an example also for everyone, as much as I can.

“When I signed, I said I want to win everything. That didn’t change for a little moment either. It stayed the same: I want to win everything that is possible in this country, also let’s say the Champions League.

“I’m ready to go for it.”

With the club going through a transitional period this summer, and only a handful of starting players more experienced than the 2023 arrival at the club with the likes of Alisson Becker and Alexis Mac Allister, the man who Van Dijk has his eye on could very well be Szoboszlai. 

How will Liverpool’s midfield look from here? 

The Hungarian technician joins Ryan Gravenberch as midfielders who have penned long-term contracts, but with Curtis Jones into the last twelve months of his contract and rumoured to depart this summer, as well as Mac Allister linked with a potential move out of Liverpool, the midfield is likely to endure a large shake-up.  

Prospects like Trey Nyoni or Stefan Bajcetic, or even the returning Harvey Elliott may have to be integrated into Iraola’s squad. Regardless of how Iraola reshapes his midfield, one certainty remains: Liverpool’s No.8 will be central to the next chapter at Anfield. 

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