Liverpool are close to making Dominik Szoboszlai their second new signing of the summer after triggering the €70m (£60m) release clause in his RB Leipzig contract.
The Reds have moved quickly since informing Leipzig on Friday of their intention to meet the clause, having been previously reluctant to do so as all the money has to be paid up front.
Szoboszlai himself had already made Leipzig aware of his desire to join Liverpool before the bid arrived and will link up with fellow new arrival Alexis Mac Allister next season.
Only Virgil van Dijk, Alisson and Darwin Nunez have ever joined Liverpool for more money.
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Szoboszlai is versatile enough that he can play in almost any attacking position, in addition to central midfield. Although he spent much of last season on the right for Leipzig, his natural position is ‘number 10’ and 10 is indeed the shirt he has consistently worn since becoming an established senior Hungary international in 2019 while still a teenager.
At club level, the only time Szoboszlai has worn 10 was during a spell at Red Bull Salzburg feeder club FC Liefering in Austrian football’s second division.
He was initially assigned 16 at Salzburg, before taking 14 when he became more established. Throughout his entire time at Leipzig, Szoboszlai then went on to wear 17.
Of Szoboszlai’s former shirts, 10, 14 and 17 are already taken at Liverpool by Alexis Mac Allister, Jordan Henderson and Curtis Jones respectively. The number 7 might have been an option given the Hungarian’s leanings to the right, but Luis Diaz recently took it after James Milner left.
The 16 shirt is available for Szoboszlai if he fancies something at least a little familiar, although it was only one game that he actually played for Salzburg in that jersey.
Liverpool have a vacant 8 shirt last by the recently departed Naby Keita, the number 9 is also free after Roberto Firmino left, as is 12 most recently worn by Joe Gomez. The 15, 23, 24, 25, 29 and 30 shirts are all also currently unoccupied and open to Szoboszlai.
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On this week’s edition of Talking Transfers, part of the 90min podcast network, Scott Saunders is joined by Toby Cudworth, Graeme Bailey and Sean Walsh to discuss Mason Mount’s impending move to Man Utd, Arsenal’s various deals, Liverpool’s pursuit of Dominik Szoboszlai and more!
If you can’t see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!
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