Liverpool new signing Dominik Szoboszlai has some things in common with Alexis Mac Allister and they could be a devastatingly effective pairing for the Reds.

Two pieces of Liverpool’s starting XI are still in place. Dominik Szoboszlai, a new $77m (£60m) signing, looks set to line up as number eight on the right, with previously signed Alexis Mac Allister on the left.
Their roles are likely to differ – Jürgen Klopp has called Mac Allister a “jack of all trades” (via the official Liverpool website) and Szoboszlai is likely to get more offensive licenses – but the Reds will also be using their shared guns.

One is the through ball, defined by Opta as a pass that breaks the defense to make a teammate collide. We explained in this article why this art is somewhat of a dying art in the modern game, but Mac Allister and Szoboszlai are two of the few remaining representatives.

Together, Szoboszlai and Mac Allister made 31 of those assists last season, and for comparison, the entire Liverpool midfield made 39 in the Premier League.

With a total of 15, Mac Allister was 10th in the English top flight, while Szoboszlai was third in the Bundesliga at 15, ahead of Chelsea newcomer Christopher Nkunku (11) and former Reds target Jude Bellingham (nine ). .

Another characteristic common to both players is their preference for the so-called “forward pass”. This is the penultimate pass before a shot.

Szoboszlai actually led the Bundesliga in this department with 41 last season (via The Analyst), while Mac Allister wasn’t far behind in the Premier League with 37. It is often precisely the passes that lead to a really dangerous situation and therefore represent important game elements. With the duo also having deadly balls in their repertoire, they are able to downplay the defense and the prospect of fielding them alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold is therefore enticing.

One of the concerns so far has been that Liverpool have no plan B when Alexander-Arnold is unavailable.

The Englishman is at the heart of Klopp’s new system and operates in a hybrid midfield role, but needs rest from time to time and is also prone to odd injuries.

At the start of the summer, the Reds’ midfield squad lacked the creativity to adequately compensate for their absence and the club have already ruled out the possibility of signing another full-back to fill the same role (via The Athletic).

With Calvin Ramsay on loan at Preston North End and Conor Bradley still short of top-flight experience, Joe Gomez, Liverpool’s strongest alternative to Alexander-Arnold, is ill-equipped to break into midfield.

Alexander-Arnold would therefore leave quite a void. He recorded 124 plays creating shots in the Premier League last season, second only to Mohamed Salah in the Liverpool ranks and well ahead of Andy Robertson (95) in third place.

The best performing midfielder in this area was Harvey Elliott, who made just 75.

But even if Liverpool will now have to revert to a more conventional 4-3-3 without Alexander-Arnold, Szoboszlai and Mac Allister will be ready to take over the game again.

While the pair have cost Liverpool $122m together, they may have saved the club some cash on an Alexander-Arnold ‘clone’ at the same time.

More news………

Liverpool are the favorites to sign the 19-year-old midfield prodigy this summer.

Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia.

The 19-year-old was hugely impressive for Southampton in the Premier League last season and is expected to join a top club this summer.

Lavia is well regarded in the Premier League and a number of clubs have followed him through the season.
However, Athletic journalist Jacob Tanswell has now revealed to Empire of the Kop that Liverpool are first choice for the 19-year-old midfielder.

The former Manchester City midfielder is valued at between £40m and £50m and it remains to be seen if Liverpool are willing to pay for him. The Reds need a quality defensive midfielder this summer and Lavia could challenge Fabinho for the starting spot next season

The Brazil international midfielder was rather disappointing last season and Liverpool need to step up competition for places.

Lavia could be Fabinho’s replacement or he could even compete with the Brazilian for the starting position. He showed his qualities in the Premier League last season and is certainly good enough to play for a top club

The Southampton midfielder is an expert when it comes to winning the ball back for his side and setting up counter-attacks.

Joining a big club like Liverpool could accelerate his development and a great manager like Jürgen Klopp will help the player improve further.
While the asking price seems steep, the midfielder has the potential to justify the long-term investment.