Liverpool have signed Hungarian midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai from Bundesliga club RB Leipzig for £60 million on a five-year deal.
The 22-year-old will give the Reds more options in midfield after Argentine World Cup champion Alexis Mac Allister joined the team last month.
“The last three or four days went really long; it was not that easy. But at the end I’m here, I’m happy and I can’t wait to get started,” Szoboszlai told Liverpool’s website.
“A really historic club, really good players, good coach, everything is good. For me it was perfect to make the next step in a club like this. The fans, the stadium, everything is really good.”
We have completed the signing of Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig, subject to a work permit ✍️🔴
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 2, 2023
After finishing fifth in the Premier League last season and missing out on the Champions League for the first time in seven years, Liverpool was looking to improve their midfield.
When their contracts ran out at the end of last season, midfielders James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Naby Keita all left the club.
Szoboszlai will get Keita’s old number eight jersey so he can play like Steven Gerrard, who was one of his childhood heroes.
“I have a tattoo from Steven Gerrard,” he added. “When I was a child, to be honest I didn’t watch that much football, but when it was Champions League, I watched and he was one of the biggest.”
#SzoboSigns 😁 pic.twitter.com/LAQBCy1vRt
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 2, 2023
Since joining Leipzig in January 2021, Szoboszlai has scored 20 goals and set up 22 others in 91 games. He has helped them win the German Cup and finish in the top four of the Bundesliga for the past two years.
“It has been an intense and above all successful few years at RB Leipzig,” Szoboszlai said in a statement released by Leipzig.
“I have met lots of people on and off the pitch who have really helped me in my development. I matured in Leipzig and have been able to learn a lot, so I have a lot to thank the club for.”
Our new number 8️⃣
#SzoboSigns pic.twitter.com/vmtSjFChLY— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 2, 2023
Szoboszlai is the second star player from Leipzig to move to the Premier League for a lot of money in the past few weeks. Christopher Nkunku moved to Chelsea.
Manchester City is reportedly interested in a deal for Leipzig center-back Josko Gvardiol, which could make the Croatian the most expensive defender in the world.