Liverpool are gearing up for a big summer as pre-season training gets underway at the AXA Training Centre starting on Tuesday 14th July.
Among the first wave of senior players returning is Liverpool's Hungarian midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai who's incredible versatility became the Reds ultimate reliable tool during a grueling campaign that unfortunately ended empty-handed which is incredibly dissapointing after spending £450million on new players during the 2024/25 summer transfer window.
Last season took a massive physical toll, and the bids for both the Premier League and Champions League ultimately fell apart suprisingly under former head coach Arne Slot.
Now, Andoni Iraola who was at Bournmouth and finished three points below the Reds and achieved a spot in Europe for the Cherries he has now been brought in to inject that trademark high intensity back into the side and take 20 time Premier League Champions to the next level.
For the 25-year-old, the goals for the new season remain massive.
The ultimate saviour
Few players stepped up during last year's relentless injury crisis quite like the dynamic midfielder. He became the ultimate tactical fix for the side whenever a teammate was sidelined which, let’s be honest, felt like a weekly theme last season.
We saw this happen most notably across the backline. When summer signing Jeremie Frimpong picked up a succession of frustrating hamstring injuries, and Conor Bradley unfortunately sustained that brutal, season-ending knee injury, it was the 25-year-old who selflessly dropped in to cover at right-back.
But his adaptability didn't stop there. When suspensions hit or the midfield ran out of steam, the former Leipzig man was instantly deployed as a deep-lying number six to steady the ship. Whatever the crisis, the number 8 was immediately shifted to plug the gap without a single complaint.
That immense workload is clear in the numbers. If you think about how many games are played during a campaign he only failed to complete the full 90 minutes in just two Premier League matches all year which is incredible. By May, he had clocked a staggering 4,736 minutes of football the second highest total in the entire squad, behind only skipper Virgil van Dijk.
While the midfielder is currently enjoying a well-earned summer holiday following Hungary’s disappointing failure to qualify for the World Cup 2026 tournament he sat down for a revealing interview with L’Equipe. during his break to reflect on the chaotic campaign and what lies ahead under the new head coach.
"“I could easily say, ‘I don’t want to play fullback; either you put me in the middle, or I’m not playing’. But I don’t do that because I want to help my team in every way possible. And I want to win, regardless of the position I’m forced to play.”L’Equipe.
“I’m a team player. I’m not too nice, trust me. And besides, if we’re honest, switching from midfield to full-back isn’t really difficult.”"
Reclaiming the pinnacle
The big job for Iraola now is building a squad capable of sustaining a proper fight on both domestic and European fronts. The drop-off last season showed a painful reality which was despite the club’s staggering £500 million summer layout, the squad simply lacked the reliable depth to cope when the pressure was on.
For all that investment, the return on the pitch just wasn’t there, with marquee signings desperately struggling to adapt to the relentless demands of life on Merseyside.
Take Florian Wirtz example. Arriving with a huge price tag, the German playmaker clearly found it difficult adapting to a completely new country and the physicality of English football.
Then there was Alexander Isak, who's Anfield career started on the back foot after arriving with no proper pre-season, immediately plagued by fitness issues and a broken leg that completely derailed his campaign.
The one genuine bright spark among the new arrivals wasHugo Ekitike, who got stuck in straight away and adapted brilliantly to the weight of the red shirt.
In a devastating blow to both the player and the club, the young forward sustained an Achilles rupture, cruelly ruling him out for the remainder of the 2025/26 season and the opening portion of the upcoming 2026/27 campaign.
For the players who experienced the incredible high of winning the league title back in 2025, the hunger to bring silverware back to Merseyside has only grown. Having tasted that domestic glory, the Hungary captain admits his childhood dreams have shifted a bit.
He further went on to reveal in the interview:
"“Honestly, when I was a kid, I always dreamed of winning the Champions League, probably more than winning the Premier League. But now that I’ve had a taste of it, I absolutely want to win the Premier League again because it was so incredible in 2025.”"L’Equipe.
The Iraola era begins
Pre-season testing starts this week, giving the new boss his first chance to stamp his aggressive, front-foot style on the squad. The Basque manager was chosen specifically to bring back the breathless football Anfield expects a style our midfield talisman is perfectly built for.
Whether he plays in his natural advanced midfield role or fills in defensively again, the Hungarian international will be vital to our success this year. The hard work starts now.
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