Dominik Szoboszlai says Erling Haaland told him to ‘get ready’ after choosing to join Liverpool this summer.
Szoboszlai became Liverpool’s second signing of the summer in July, joining from RB Leipzig. Having moved to Leipzig from RB Salzburg in 2021, the Hungarian is a former teammate of City superstar Haaland.
And speaking to The Athletic about the Norwegian’s reaction to him joining Liverpool, Szoboszlai says Haaland was enthusiastic.
“Erling and I are still close; we message each other and we talk when either of us has time,” explained the 22-year-old. “I live near to him now so we’ll probably have some dinners together.
“Before I joined Liverpool, he just said: ‘Get ready!’ But he knows I’m ready. He told me it is a crazy league and that I’m going to love it.
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“I’m not surprised by how well he has done at Man City. I knew what he could do and how much work he puts in. He’s an unbelievable player.
“I know all about the rivalry between Liverpool and the Manchester clubs, but I’m ready. That’s why I’ve come to Liverpool. I want to see how it feels when I’m playing in those games.”
Szobsoszlai reveals Haaland advice
If things had have been different, perhaps Szoboszlai could have been lining up at Anfield alongside Haaland this season.
The City man was linked with a move to Liverpool when he was leaving Borussia Dortmund last year.
But in the end, the Reds were never really in the race. Agent fees and wages made the deal one of the most eye-watering of recent times. Jurgen Klopp even publicly said his club will have ‘nothing to do’ with the ‘crazy’ sums on the table.
Nevertheless, maybe it’s worth reflecting on where Liverpool would be had they managed to tempt Haaland to Merseyside.
The 23-year-old fired City to a treble in his first campaign at the Etihad. Although Pep Guardiola’s side could well have managed that without him, the Norway international was still a catalyst in making it happen.
Linking up with the likes of Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz in the Liverpool attack, it’s easy to see Haaland having a similar impact. Clearly, it’s never going to happen now.
Instead, we’re happy enough with his former pal from Salzburg. Both are supreme competitors, it’ll be interesting when they clash this season.