EXCL: Szoboszlai signing will have one Liverpool star licking his lips, battle with Arsenal for Lavia, truth about Thiago transfer situation, and more

A deep dive into the latest Liverpool transfer news, featuring Szoboszlai, Lavia, Thiago, and more!

Szoboszlai and Mac Allister signal start of exciting new era under Klopp

Szoboszlai looks a very exciting signing for Liverpool, and it almost feels more exciting when these deals come slightly out of the blue instead of dragging on in the news for a while. I think that adds to the feeling of excitement and Liverpool fans can’t wait now to see what type of player he is and how he’s going to fit in. Of course, just because the deal seemed to happen quickly, it doesn’t mean it was in any way rushed - he is a player I’m aware has been on the club’s radar for some time. He played against them when he was a teenager with Salzburg back in 2019, so he’s been around for a while.

Obviously Liverpool have a good history with the Red Bull group, we’ve had a few players from their clubs now - Sadio Mane, Naby Keita, Takumi Minamino, Ibrahima Konate - and there’s also the Fabio Carvalho loan in the other direction this summer. Those good relations may well have helped negotiations go a bit more smoothly to a certain extent.

It’s also an interesting signing because it seems to clearly signal a change in direction from Liverpool - they’ve now signed two midfielders who are a move away from the traditional kind of players Jurgen Klopp has used in the middle of the park. Both Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister are multi-functional players, and Szoboszlai in particular has had a few different roles in his career, whether it’s been out on the wing or as a number 10, as well as where it seems he’s going to play at Liverpool in that role aligned with his official squad number, the number 8.