Liverpool will have a lot of fresh faces arriving for pre-season training this summer.
The Reds have endured a long season that was action-packed right from minute one, but they will also say it was worth it after picking up the Premier League trophy.
As of now, the players are relaxing on holiday before they return for pre-season training on 8th July, with Liverpool’s first game being a friendly against Preston North End on the 13th.
This will be a chance for players to impress Arne Slot and, although proving his worth to him last season, Dominik Szoboszlai might have to work extra hard to show why he should be in the team ahead of £116m man Florian Wirtz.
The German is set to have his medical on Friday and question marks have been raised about the Hungarian’s future in Liverpool’s midfield, with the majority assuming that he will take a back seat while Wirtz shines.
However, Szoboszlai has other ideas and he has sent his soon-to-be teammate a fierce warning ahead of his arrival.
Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool looks on prior to the Premier League match between Leicester City FC and Liverpool FC at The King Power Stadium
Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Dominik Szoboszlai won’t give up his place easily
The 24-year-old was key last season in helping Liverpool win their 20th league title, with his engine in the midfield helping them dominate games.
However, when breaking the British transfer record for a player, he will very likely start almost every game, suggesting Szoboszlai might be reduced to a bit-part role.
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This is something he was asked about by Hungarian outlet oghuncrew, with the midfielder letting everyone know just how hard he is going to make it for Liverpool’s new signing to push him aside.
“If you say that it will be difficult for me, then we’ll see how it will be after the preparation. In the end, it may be true for you, but I don’t give up easily and I think he knows that getting into a Premier League-winning team is a hard job,” Szoboszlai said.
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“Of course, if you buy a player for 150m they probably won’t be kept on the bench, but then we have to find a way to play together.”
Playing alongside one another is certainly a possibility, but with Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister being two of the best players in their position across the entire league, it will be hard for Szoboszlai to displace one of them on the regular.
How do Dominik Szoboszlai and Florian Wirtz compare?
In their positions, both are required to do a lot more than just attack, with both having to work hard off the ball and also defend at points.
However, Szoboszlai and Wirtz excel in both areas and are perfect for a Liverpool midfield, with both being a manager’s dream.
2024/25 League Stats Dominik Szoboszlai Florian Wirtz
Appearances 36 31
Goals 6 10
Assists 6 12
Shots on Target 23 78
Crosses 41 52
Tackles 38 32
Stats from the Premier League and Bundesliga, correct as of 19/06/25
Wirtz clearly has the edge and has more goals, assists, shots on target and crosses than Szoboszlai, although you would expect that given the fee they are paying for him.
The Hungarian beats him defensively, however, after making more tackles, but based on how close they both are in all the metrics, they are very much like-for-like and could work well in rotation for Liverpool next season.