Player Profile: Dominik Szoboszlai

When Liverpool triggered Dominik Szoboszlai’s €70 million release clause in July 2023, it felt like a statement of intent. The Hungarian was already one of Europe’s most exciting midfielders: technically gifted, tactically adaptable, and with a flair for the spectacular. But two years on, as Arne Slot reshapes Liverpool in his own image, Szoboszlai has become more than just a flashy signing. He has evolved into the heartbeat of the team—an all-action midfielder who embodies Slot’s vision of intensity, fluidity, and tactical intelligence.

From Székesfehérvár to Anfield: The Journey

Born in Székesfehérvár, Hungary, on 25 October 2000, Szoboszlai was steeped in football from the start. His father, Zsolt, was both a coach and mentor, creating a tailored training regime for his son that emphasized technique, creativity, and mental resilience. That early investment paid dividends.

He began his professional career at FC Liefering, Red Bull Salzburg’s feeder team, before breaking into Salzburg’s first team. There, he quickly became a standout talent, helping the Austrian giants to three league titles and two domestic cups. His vision, long-range shooting, and ability to dictate tempo drew comparisons with Europe’s elite playmakers.

A move to RB Leipzig in 2021 solidified his reputation. In Germany, he matured tactically, learning to balance defensive discipline with attacking freedom. Two DFB-Pokal titles followed, and Szoboszlai was now seen as a complete midfielder. By 2023, Liverpool swooped in, convinced that his skillset was tailor-made for the Premier League.

Internationally, Szoboszlai has been just as influential. Debuting for Hungary in 2019, he was named captain at just 22. His leadership, combined with his ability to carry games single-handedly, has turned him into the face of Hungarian football.

Arne Slot’s Szoboszlai: Pressing Machine, Creative Conduit

Liverpool under Slot is a side built on constant motion. Where Jürgen Klopp’s “heavy metal football” thrived on explosive chaos, Slot prefers controlled intensity: pressing with shape, attacking with structure, and demanding midfielders who can blur the line between creator and destroyer.

Few players fit this model as naturally as Szoboszlai.

• In Possession
  Slot has encouraged Szoboszlai to drift fluidly between lines. At times he plays as a traditional number eight, linking play with short, sharp passes. At others, he pushes into a second-striker role, pressing defenders and looking for late runs into the box. This duality makes him difficult to mark—too deep for defenders, too advanced for holding midfielders.
• Out of Possession
  His defensive contribution has been just as important. Szoboszlai ranks among Liverpool’s most active pressers, recovering the ball high up the pitch and disrupting opposition build-ups. Slot values his ability to sprint, harry, and reset Liverpool’s shape—a role that demands both intelligence and stamina.
• Evolution in Final Third
  At Leipzig and early in his Liverpool career, Szoboszlai was often the player attempting long-range thunderbolts. Slot has refined this. He wants his Hungarian midfielder making smarter runs into high-value zones, timing his movement into the box rather than relying on speculative shooting. The result has been fewer low-percentage shots and more involvement in decisive attacking sequences.

Slot himself has been effusive in his praise, describing Szoboszlai as “committed” and “underrated” in his influence. For the Dutchman, Szoboszlai is more than a midfielder—he is a system player, someone who makes the tactical gears turn smoothly.

Form Check: The Last Two Matches

Liverpool 3-2 Newcastle (25 August 2025)

This was the game where Szoboszlai’s impact shone brightest without dominating the stat sheet. Liverpool and Newcastle were deadlocked at 2–2 deep into stoppage time, and it was Szoboszlai’s clever positioning that helped initiate the decisive move. His clever dummy created the space for debutant Rio Ngumoha to score the dramatic late winner.

It was classic Szoboszlai: unselfish, intelligent, and decisive in moments that matter. Though he didn’t score or assist directly, his fingerprints were on Liverpool’s match-winning moment.

Liverpool 4-2 Bournemouth – Slot’s Midfield Recalibration

In the opening fixtures of the season, Liverpool’s midfield looked unsettled, partly due to Szoboszlai’s repositioning. With new signing Florian Wirtz slotting into a more advanced role, Szoboszlai has been asked to operate slightly deeper. This has reduced his direct attacking output but showcased his defensive discipline and workrate.

While pundits pointed to vulnerabilities in Liverpool’s defensive structure, Szoboszlai’s numbers told a different story: high distance covered, possessions regained, and duels won. Slot trusts him to provide balance, even if it comes at the expense of highlight-reel moments.

Numbers Behind the Narrative

1. High-Impact Pressing & Fast Break Contribution

Szoboszlai is one of just 11 Premier League players to exceed 200 pressures in the final third and 300 in the middle third this season [Premier League, 2025]. His counter-pressing—pressures initiated within two seconds of losing possession—is among the best in the division. He ranks third per 90 minutes (11.9), behind only Dominic Solanke and Marcus Tavernier, despite playing fewer minutes [Premier League, 2025]. In terms of fast breaks that end in shots, only Mohamed Salah (33), Cole Palmer, Matheus Cunha, and Nicolas Jackson (all 20) have been involved in more than Szoboszlai (19) [Premier League, 2025].

2. Possessions Won & Duels

In Liverpool’s 2–0 win over Newcastle (February 2025), Szoboszlai led the team with 8 possession recoveries and won 8 of 10 duels, while covering 10.9 km—the most of any player on the pitch [BBC Sport, 2025]. Across a five-game, 450-minute stretch, he played every minute, delivered 2 goals and 1 assist, registered the joint-most shots (3), the second-most recoveries (8), and tied for most duels won (8) [This Is Anfield, 2025]. Earlier in the season, he was noted as the only Liverpool player underperforming his expected goals (xG), but across the next eight matches he scored three times and added an assist to close the gap [BBC Sport, 2025].

3. Coverage & Endurance

Szoboszlai averages 10.93 km per 90 minutes, underlining his relentless engine [Reddit, 2025]. In his debut Premier League season (2023/24), he logged a total of 83.6 km, averaging 11.94 km per 90 minutes—the highest figure in the league [Anfield Watch, 2024].

4. Goals, Assists & Expected Output

In the 2024/25 Premier League season, Szoboszlai contributed 6 goals and 6 assists (12 total), averaging 0.43 goal contributions per 90 minutes. His non-penalty xG (0.27 per 90) ranks in the 81st percentile, while his expected assists (xA) of 0.29 per 90 put him in the 91st percentile [FootyStats, 2025].

5. Shooting Profile & Passing Precision

Over 36 league matches, he attempted 41 shots (~1.51 per 90 minutes). Impressively, 56.1% of these were on target, placing him in the 82nd percentile, scoring once every 6.83 shots [FootyStats, 2025]. In passing, he averages 43.67 passes per 90 minutes with a completion rate of 85.87%, placing him in the 62nd percentile [FootyStats, 2025].

6. Defensive Contributions

Beyond his pressing work, Szoboszlai has tallied 32 tackles, engaged in 313 duels (138 won), made 180 recoveries, and registered 13 interceptions across all competitions [Sporting Life, 2025].

The Bigger Picture

Dominik Szoboszlai’s Liverpool story is still being written, but one thing is clear: he is no longer just a flashy playmaker. Under Slot, he has become Liverpool’s relentless conductor—a midfielder who presses, creates, and adapts with intelligence.

His recent form shows both sides of his game: the creative spark that unlocks defenses, as seen at Newcastle, and the disciplined engine that provides balance during tactical reshuffles. For Liverpool, that versatility is priceless.

At just 24, Szoboszlai is entering the prime of his career. If Slot continues to refine his role, he could become not only Liverpool’s midfield cornerstone but also one of the defining players of this new Premier League era.