Dominik Szoboszlai transfer to Liverpool confirmed with contract length and squad number – Liverpool Echo

Liverpool have signed Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig for £60 million for five years.

The Hungary captain becomes the fourth most expensive player of all time at Anfield, behind Virgil van Dijk (£75 million), Alisson Becker (£65 million) and Darwin Nunez (£64 million initially). He will wear the number 8 shirt made famous by legendary former captain Steven Gerrard.

The Reds moved swiftly to sign the 22-year-old this week after discovering there was a £60 million clause in his contract with Bundesliga club Leipzig, which expired on June 30.

Liverpool officials met with Szboszlai’s representatives early in the week and held productive talks with Hungary-based EM Sports agency before officially approaching Leipzig on Friday when the Reds announced they intended to initiate the midfielder’s release. to make.

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Newcastle United were also interested and could offer Szboszlai Champions League football for the upcoming campaign, but ECHO understands that the attacking midfielder has expressed his desperate desire to work with Reds boss Jurgen Klopp.

As a result, the Magpies were forced to move on to other alternatives, clearing the way for Liverpool to finalize talks with Leipzig before being allowed to fly to England on Friday night for a Saturday afternoon medical, which was conducted in a facility in the northwest.

It is understood that the breakthrough in talks initially came as the two clubs were battling out the terms of Fabio Carvalho’s move to Leipzig on a season-long loan, which was confirmed on Friday afternoon.

The move is further evidence of a major midfield rebuild at Anfield this summer, following the arrival of Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton & Hove Albion last month. The Reds signed the World Cup winner for £35 million in early June after discovering an escape clause in the Argentina international’s contract, which was only signed in October last year.

It marks the first significant deal of Jorg Schmadtke’s time as sporting director following the German’s arrival to Merseyside on a short-term contract early last month. The 59-year-old’s arrival preceded Mac Allister’s signing, but he was given a formal transfer of duties from the outgoing Julian Ward after the new number 10 moved from the south coast.

Fitness issues and problems of form had plagued the midfield last season as the Reds slipped to their worst finish of any full season under Klopp and the departures of James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain only increased the need for midfielders this summer.

Szobozslai has been compared to former England captain David Beckham by his former manager at Red Bull Salzburg and Leipzig, Jesse March, and he scored 10 goals and 13 assists last season as those Roten Bulls won the DFB Pokal and finished third in the Bundesliga.

However, it is now unclear whether Liverpool will continue to pursue other midfield goals following the arrival of Mac Allister and Szboszlai. The club had drawn up an extensive list of targets, including Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch, Ligue 1’s Nice’s Khephren Thuram, Southampton’s Romeo Lavia and Celta Vigo’s Gabri Veiga.

Liverpool are believed to be assessing the merits of a number of centre-backs, including Chelsea’s Levi Colwill, while Wolfsburg’s Micky van de Ven have also been linked in recent weeks.

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