Liverpool players pleaded with Jurgen Klopp to sign forward, and a £60 million deal may be next

Liverpool have held initial talks to sign Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leizpig and he is a player the club know well

When Liverpool hosted Red Bull Salzburg in October 2019, one player famously made a lasting impression on Jürgen Klopp, his players and the Anfield crowd.

Takumi Minamino would score a goal and assist for the unsuspecting Austrians as they fought back from 3-0 down, only to lose 4-3 to the reigning European champions in the Champions League group stage.

Also brilliant in Liverpool’s 2-0 win in Austria, the senior players were impressed. Upon his return to Melwood, Minamino was the name on everyone’s lips as Klopp’s rank and file begged him to sign for the Japan international.

Unbeknownst to them, a deal was already in the works with the Reds signing the versatile striker in January after activating a £7.25m release clause in his contract.

But while Minamino won the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup during his two and a half years at Anfield, in reality he has rarely managed to replicate such electric form for Liverpool.

Sold to AS Monaco for £15.5m last summer, it has been jovially hinted more than once that perhaps the Reds would have to contend with the blond Norwegian big boy at the Salzburg front.

Erling Haaland was equally hypnotic for the Austrians against Liverpool. Although injury restricted him from the bench at Anfield, he still came on in the second half to help briefly turn the tide and score Salzburg’s equaliser.

That goal was one of an incredible eight in the minnows’ Champions League group stage, with the striker netting an impressive 28 goals in just 22 games in the first half of the season before being sold to Borussia Dortmund for €20m. in the same month.

like Minamino’s Anfield switch. He joined at the same time as the Japan international last summer, joining Man City for £51.2million after activating his release clause. Now, 12 months later, he is a three-time winner, scoring an incredible 52 goals in 53 games in his first season in England.

“Even when he was very young, younger than now, you could see the potential was crazy,” Klopp said last October when recalling his side’s first clash with Haaland. “I don’t think he started against us at Anfield, I think he did.” was injured and came on as a substitute.

“But we were pretty busy thinking about him, I remember. How can you turn it off, how can you turn it off. He still scored.”

Of course you don’t have to be a genius to see that Haaland was destined for the top. But Klopp would reveal that despite signing Minamino in January 2020, they had no chance of always carrying the Norwegian for an often overlooked reason.

“Dortmund needed a striker,” he said in February 2020. “Everyone blames Man United for not getting him, but we wouldn’t have got him. We couldn’t have taken it. It’s that simple.

“He wanted a top-level team with an open space as soon as possible… Borussia Dortmund. That’s the timing.
“I hope you know how much I love and respect the Dortmund people, but it’s not like they had a perfect approach and did this and that, it was more that they were there, they had the space, the number nine…

“Let’s go, you’re 19, you want to play the Champions League, the top tier of the Bundesliga, so do it.”
“Nobody else had a chance, I’m pretty sure, no matter what they say.”

Considering Liverpool were on course to win the Premier League title this season and Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane were an untouchable trio all at the peak of their powers, then Klopp is right. When it came to Haaland’s move to City, his wage demands ensured the Reds were priceless.

Of course, three and a half years ago against Liverpool, a few other Salzburg players also caught the eye.

If you take a look at the squad list for both games, you’ll see the names of Patson Daka, Enock Mwepu, Hwang Hee-Chan, Rasmus Kristensen and Maximillian Wober, all of whom joined the Premier League in previous years . , although none were as successful as Haaland.

Meanwhile, you’ll also spot another name familiar with the Reds’ latest transfer target: Dominik Szoboszlai.

The 18-year-old Hungarian started his game at Anfield on the cross against Minamino on the left and secured a 4-3 victory for Liverpool. But unlike the Japanese national player and Haaland, he couldn’t make a name for himself in the lightweight distribution.

WhoScored’s player rating was the lowest given that night at 6.1, as he missed a shot, completed 25 of his 37 passes (68% passing accuracy), failed any of his dribble attempts, won none of his aerial duels and… was stripped of his possessions five times – more than any other player on the pitch.

It was perhaps no big surprise when he was taken off in the 71st minute just after Salah restored Liverpool’s lead.

In Austria, his WhoScored rating would have been even worse, as he was awarded a 5.7, one of only two players to register under six, as he was stationed on the left side of a midfield runner this time.

Although his passing would improve by completing 40 of his 46 pass attempts (87% accuracy), he played no key passes, made no attempt to dribble, was dribbled past four times, won none of his tackles, and was expropriated three times.
At that point, aged 19, he completed the full 90 minutes on that occasion.

In fact, it doesn’t necessarily come as a shock that Szoboszlai battled the European champions, who won both the world and England titles in the weeks and months that followed.

He was just a boy and competed against Jordan Henderson, Gini Wijnaldum, Fabinho, Naby Keita and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

While Minamino and Haaland switched in January 2020, Szoboszlai stayed on for another 12 months and became Salzburg’s main player in his absence.

When he signed a €20million deal with RB Leipzig in January 2021, he was ruled out through injury until the end of the season, meaning he would face Liverpool again in the round of 16.

Champions League final. But despite those initial struggles against the Reds, he has continued to be sporadically linked with a move to Anfield in recent years.

Now that talks are underway with their representatives, Liverpool are exploring the possibility of turning such speculation into reality, although they admit a deal would be difficult to complete this summer.

A release clause of around £60m is said to be active at the moment, although time is running out. It’s easy to see why Szoboszlai has been on the Reds’ radar.

He is now 22, has scored 20 goals and 22 assists for RB Leipzig in 91 appearances over the past two seasons and has plenty of Champions League experience. As Hungarian captain, he also shone on the international stage.

Standing 1.80m tall, he has a keen eye for goal and passing and is incredibly versatile. He has experience as number eight, number ten, false nine and on both wings.

When Minamino and Haaland did it in 2019, aged 24 and 19 respectively, he may not have caught the eye. But sometimes players take a bit longer to reach the top.

Liverpool have watched the Hungarian since those early encounters and they have done enough to impress enough since their paths first crossed. With Newcastle also reportedly chasing him, he could be on the verge of following in his former teammates’ footsteps and making the move to the Premier League.

Szoboszlai’s best years are still far ahead of him. Whether he spends it at Anfield or elsewhere, we will find out in the coming weeks.