It happened with Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker. It is now happening with Dominik Szoboszlai.
The 22-year-old moved to Merseyside from RB Leipzig this summer in a big-money deal believed to be worth in the ballpark of £60million.
Not only did the Hungary captain arrive with a significant price tag attached to him, he also made the bold decision to take on the iconic No8 jersey at Anfield.
There was a lot of pressure on Szoboszlai.
He’s more than handled it though. In fact, he’s been so impressive for the Reds that nobody is talking about the transfer fee.
Immediate impact
When a player has an immediate impact on a team, the scrutiny quickly abates. When a player doesn’t let the price tag weigh them or their performances down, the figures don’t matter for long.
It is too premature to say the one-time Salzburg attacker has had a transformative impact on Liverpool, but he’s certainly made quite the impression during his short stint with the 2019/20 Premier League champions.
And it's exactly what I expected from him.
Eyebrows were raised when the Reds activated his release clause this summer.
The move made him the club’s most expensive midfield signing and it was a significant outlay on a player with a little shy of 4,000 Bundesliga minutes to his name across the last two campaigns. An adductor issue delayed his RB Leipzig debut for eight months and the club managed his minutes carefully across the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons.
Despite this, he chipped in with 28 goal involvements across these campaigns, split 14 in each season. That return is even more impressive when you consider the role change. He spent the first season with Die Roten Bullen on the left side before switching to the right last year.
A perfect fit in midfield
For the Reds, however, he’s been deployed on the right side of a midfield three. And the 6' 1'' powerhouse has looked right at home there.
His on-ball talent has been evident since he emerged as a teenager for Salzburg. He’s adapted to the physical rigours of the Premier League with ease, finding a teammate with 88% of his passes so far.
In the win over Bournemouth, he was accurate with 80% of his long passes while against Aston Villa, he completed 100%.
Szoboszlai has already come up against teams who press high and sit deep yet his performances have been consistent.
In two of his four outings, the Reds have been down to 10 men for large periods and he’s really stepped it up to compensate.
Yes, he’s been tidy in possession but he’s also been fairly progressive and creative too. Against Chelsea, in his Premier League debut for Liverpool, he created three chances.
In his first home game for the Reds, the 3-1 win against the Cherries, he won the penalty that resulted in Mohamed Salah’s first goal of the season before being heavily involved in the third for the hosts.
Adaptability impressive
His shot was too hot to handle and Diogo Jota was on hand to rifle in the rebound. He wasn’t credited with an assist but he played a big role in both of those goals.
Next up, Liverpool travelled to Newcastle and found themselves a goal and a man down inside 30 minutes.
The 22-year-old eventually found himself as part of a midfield double-pivot and he put in a defensive shift to rival some of the best destroyers in world football.
Szoboszlai involved himself in 20 ground duels and recovered the ball on five occasions to cap. He also attempted six dribbles (completing three) and created a chance as Jurgen Klopp’s men rallied to claim an injury-time winner.
Liverpool’s newest No.8 finally got off the mark in the 3-0 victory over Aston Villa.
He got the Reds off to a flyer, lashing home a left-footed effort from the edge of the area.
Szoboszlai also created two chances, completed 91% of his passes, recovered the ball on seven occasions and involved himself in seven duels to cap off a stunning all-round showing.
He is already proving himself to be much more than people thought he would be.
Defensive impact excellent
The assumption was that he would come in and replace Jordan Henderson as that fourth attacker for the Reds, occupying the space between the striker and Salah, when they had possession. He was expected to contribute more in the final third than he was anywhere else but he’s essentially been the definition of a box-to-box midfielder and he’s thriving in the role.
He’s contributing offensively but his numbers have, as expected, dropped off from what he was averaging last season. After all, he’s no longer part of a front three.
Szoboszlai is averaging fewer shots and has a lower expected goals (xG) per 90 average. His expected assists (xA) average has also dropped a little but he’s completing more passes all while still averaging a similar number of shot-creating actions per game, according to FBref.
The No.8 is involved in twice as many challenges and he’s making significantly more blocks. We’re already seeing signs of adaption. His evolution is following a similar path to that of Adam Lallana, Gini Wijnaldum and Curtis Jones under Klopp with the German tactician looking to make use of his on-ball and physical traits in deeper parts of the pitch.
Szoboszlai is quickly turning into one of the signings of the season and he’s only just getting started.
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