Dominik Szoboszlai has been named Liverpool’s Men’s Player of the Season after a campaign where he often looked like the player holding everything together.
It is no surprise. In a season where so many players struggled for form, Szoboszlai stood out as the most consistent performer, decisive in big moments, and one of the few who seemed to grow in stature as those around him faded.
He started 53 of Liverpool’s 57 matches, played across midfield and even filled in at right-back, scoring 13 goals and providing a team-high 12 assists. He led, ran, pressed and did whatever was asked of him. But the bigger question is what comes next when Andoni Iraola arrives at Anfield.
What does Andoni Iraola need to do to get Liverpool players on his side early on?
Slot has left some wreckage behind…
Andoni Iraola will love Dominik Szoboszlai
On paper, Iraola and Szoboszlai look a perfect match. The incoming manager values energy, risk, pressing and players who can impact both sides of the game.
Iraola has already made it clear that he prefers high-tempo football over slow control. He wants his teams to recover the ball high, attack quickly and avoid endless safety passes that kill momentum.
That sounds tailor-made for Szoboszlai. The Hungarian is one of the most well-rounded midfielders in Europe, in the same broad category as players like Declan Rice and Federico Valverde when it comes to running power, defensive effort and quality in possession.
His engine is relentless, but it is not just empty work-rate. He can carry the ball, press aggressively, strike from distance, deliver set-pieces and cover huge spaces when Liverpool lose control.
There is no player in the squad who looks more like an Iraola player than Szoboszlai. The challenge is making sure he is used in the right way.
The Florian Wirtz question
Florian Wirtz can’t be excluded from the Szoboszlai conversation. Liverpool did not bring him in to stand on the edge of the team, and Iraola will have to unlock him as the creative fulcrum of the attack.
That could affect Szoboszlai. Last season, he played deeper at times, operated as one of two advanced midfielders and even filled in at right-back when Liverpool needed him there.
His versatility is a gift, but Liverpool cannot allow their most important player of the season to simply become the man moved around to solve everyone else’s issues.
Iraola has to find a structure that gets Wirtz on the ball without reducing Szoboszlai’s influence. That likely means adding a midfielder who complements him properly and allows him to play as a true box-to-box operator.
Real Madrid allure has to be considered
There is also the contract situation. The Hungarian has two years left on his current deal, and Liverpool fans have already had too many recent reminders of what happens when elite players drift towards the final stages of their contracts.
You’re Richard Hughes, how are you responding when Real Madrid call to ask about Szoboszlai?
What price are you quoting?
Real Madrid interest only adds to the concern. After the season he has just had, it would be no shock if clubs at that level saw him as a perfect midfield addition.
Szoboszlai needs to be central to Iraola’s plans, both to give Liverpool the best chance of succeeding next year, and to keep him from exploring pastures new.
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