Dominik Szoboszlai’s star continues to rise at Liverpool after another terrific performance in the FA Cup on Saturday.
The Hungarian has arguably been the Reds’ best player this season and he came to the fore once again, scoring a thunderous strike against Brighton at Anfield.
The goal came amid some tentative talk over Szoboszlai‘s future at Liverpool with Hungary national team manager Marco Rossi fuelling speculation that he could be eyeing a move to Real Madrid.
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Curtis Jones points to the Anfield stand in celebration during Liverpool's FA Cup match against Brighton & Hove Albion
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“Because of the very close and direct relationship I have with Dominik Szoboszlai since he started playing football as a child, Real Madrid has always been his dream,” Rossi unhelpfully said to Marca on Saturday.
Szoboszlai followed that up with an assured display against Brighton to underline exactly why Liverpool have to make a decisive decision over a new contract to avoid a potential story with Madrid developing.
Real Madrid could be in for Dominik Szoboszlai
Liverpool are still in a strong position with Szoboszlai, with his contract running until 2028.
However, if he heads into next season still having not signed a new deal with the Reds, alarm bells will start to ring.
Dominik Szoboszlai celebrates after scoring for Liverpool in the FA Cup fourth round match against Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield.
Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
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There have been suggestions from Hungary that Szoboszlai will be looking for £300k-per-week to sign a Liverpool extension and while that seems extraordinarily high, it is also possible that Madrid may be willing to match that.
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Mohamed Salah called Szoboszlai ‘the best player in the world‘ after Saturday’s match, and with Arne Slot echoing those sentiments as well, why wouldn’t the Spanish champions be keen on the 25-year-old? They still look in need of a player to truly replace Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, and maybe they’ll see Szoboszlai as a candidate.
If Liverpool can get him tied down until 2030 or beyond, surely that will put Real on the back foot and ensure that his future will be at Anfield. There is pressure there, though, and with Szoboszlai clearly believing himself to be one of the biggest stars at the club, his demands are only going to increase.
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Dominik Szoboszlai celebrates after scoring for Liverpool against Manchester City in the Premier League match at Anfield (Credit: Getty Images/Liverpool FC).
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Liverpool FC
How much should Liverpool offer Szoboszlai?
It seems entirely unlikely that Liverpool would be willing to offer Szoboszlai the kind of money Salah and Virgil van Dijk are currently taking home.
The pair have delivered year after year for almost a decade, while the No. 8 has only really shown his best for the past six months.
Nevertheless, at 25 Szoboszlai still has his best years ahead of him and Liverpool will be desperate to ensure that they are spent at Anfield.
A compromise is going to have to be made somewhere, and Szoboszlai has done enough to be regarded as one of the club’s top earners based on this season.
Liverpool have been sluggish in contract negotiations since Richard Hughes joined the club in 2024, but they would be well advised not to play too many games here. Szoboszlai is clearly not afraid to make his love of Madrid public, and the Reds must come in with a high offer of £200-£250k-per-week to get the ball rolling. Whether that’s enough, only time will tell.
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