The Reds are desperate to right the wrongs of last season in the Premier League this year and are well on track to do just that. The club’s fortunes have turned around since the early stages of 2023 with Jurgen Klopp’s side sitting second in the table, one point behind leaders City ahead of their all-important top of the table clash at the end of November. Liverpool also look set to continue their European journey past Christmas and with a further EFL Cup quarter final to look forward to, the Reds’ dismal 2022/23 campaign has been left firmly in the rear view mirror. The club now has the necessary platform to launch another successful campaign thanks in no short part to the 56-year-old boss’ overhaul of the squad. Amidst a torrent of speculation surrounding his tenure following last term’s bleak performance, the German has overseen an incredible summer transfer window that has the club front and centre in the title picture. Last year’s signings are finding their best with this year’s summer acquisitions also slotting in seamlessly, chief among them being Liverpool’s newest star, Hungarian Dominik Szoboszlai.
The midfielder has caught everyone’s attention since arriving on Merseyside. The 23-year-old has shown maturity beyond his years in his performances to date and so it comes as little surprise that he has settled into life at Anfield so well. The Hungarian captain was a key contributor in the RB Leipzig side that finished 3rd in the Bundesliga and claimed back-to-back DFB-Pokals last season and has carried that good form with him into this season. He may have only registered two goals and two assists from his 17 first-team appearances but his contributions to the team go far beyond those statistics. His technique is second to none and his vision at times is reminiscent of some of the great Liverpool legends of the past. His control of the ball is spectacular and he has the presence of mind to pull off exactly the right pass at exactly the right time. He also poses a threat in front of goal, whether that be from in and around the box or from distance as his long range efforts against Villa in the league and Leicester in the cup go to show. Not only that but he has blistering pace as well. The value of his ability to cover a lot of ground both in defence as well as attack has been demonstrated time and time again this season but recently he has been on a different level. The likes of Mohammed Salah and Darwin Nunez might have previously had the acclaim of being the fastest player in the squad, but that title now belongs to Szoboszlai after recording a top speed of 36.76km/h while tracking back to put an end to Pedro Neto’s counter attack. Szoboszlai is the whole package and has already made good on his hefty price tag of £60 million. He has injected some much-needed energy into Liverpool’s midfield and ensured not only that, but also that Klopp’s revamp of the engine room continues to bear fruit. If he continues this rich vein of form, Liverpool are sure to be competing for plenty of silverware this season. Accessing funds quickly via fast payout betting sites have Liverpool at 6/1 to win the league this season.
As for where his addition to the Reds’ squad lands on the list of best transfers this summer, there is a fair bit of competition. While there is little doubt the Hungarian midfielder has become one of, if not the most important asset at the German’s disposal this season, there are still plenty of other signings that have managed to make a similarly significant impact. Many doubted Jame Maddison’s credentials after Leicester’s woeful efforts saw them relegated last season but he has proven his doubters wrong, definitively. Since joining Spurs in the summer, he has netted three goals and five assists in the Premier League and propelled the North London club from a top four competitor to a title race contender. On the other side of North London, Declan Rice’s influence on Mikel Arteta’s side is evident. The England international has been in sensational form for the Gunners, showing exactly why the club shelled out a record £105 million for the highly-sought after midfielder. Set piece specialist James Ward Prowse is also worthy of a mention. Even if the sum of West Ham’s ambitions this season aren’t comparable to that of Spurs or Arsenal, he has still done a tremendous job in filling the void left by Rice’s departure, contributing two goals and an astonishing 10 assists from his 17 appearances for the Hammers. All things considered though, it is hard to underestimate the scale of the task Klopp had in reconstructing Liverpool’s midfield after the mass exodus this past summer. The German was under immense pressure to redeem the underwhelming performance of last season, and came up with the best value for money purchase of the summer. With Maddison out for up to three months, it’s hard to imagine anyone will have as significant an impact on the fortunes of their new club this term than that of Liverpool’s Hungarian magician.
