Liverpool’s 2023 signing is already worth more than Bruno Fernandes

The January transfer window slammed shut and Liverpool had refrained from lunging forward with any bids to secure any signings for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

There were certainly calls for reinforcements, with central defence an area of concern last summer, but nothing doing. Joel Matip’s season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury in December exacerbated the situation but the emergence of Jarell Quansah has provided the title-chasing Reds with support.

Moreover, there have been rumours for many months now surrounding the long-term solution at holding midfield but despite missing out on both Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia to Chelsea in August, the surprise £16m signing of Wataru Endo looks to be one of Klopp’s shrewdest.

Still, first-placed in the Premier League, virtually through to the Europa League quarter-finals, through to the FA Cup quarter-finals and already having bagged the Carabao Cup trophy, Liverpool aren’t doing too badly, with even the recent injury struggles failing to stifle the seemingly indomitable side.

While Endo was an unanticipated – if brilliant – acquisition, the same can’t be said for Liverpool’s early-summer transfer activity, with the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai proving to be colossal upgrades on previous withered veterans such as Jordan Henderson, James Milner, and Fabinho.

The latter, Szoboszlai, has struggled with injuries of late but don’t let this detract from the Hungary international’s sublime skills in the centre of the park.

The fee Liverpool paid for Dominik Szoboszlai

The Hungary international has effectively assumed Jordan Henderson’s role on, principally, the right-sided point of the central midfield triangle, and while Liverpool had to fork out £60m to meet his release clause with RB Leipzig, it’s hard to argue that he’s not been worth the venture.

Hailed as a “generational talent” by journalist Marcel Moeller while still plying his trade in the German Bundesliga, Szoboszlai, who is 23 years old, arrived on Merseyside with successive DFB Pokal trophies in the bag and 42 goal contributions across two campaigns, very much the exciting addition.

While he has not produced the same kind of prolific numbers for Liverpool, Klopp has fashioned the talented gem into more of a robust centre-midfielder than he was in Germany, where he was often found in and around the final third.

The £60m purchase was certainly not cheap and actually stands as one of Liverpool’s most expensive buys of all time, but he’s truly been immense and has contributed to a resurgence from the 2022/23 campaign, a year when Liverpool’s midfield malfunctioned and fell heavily by the wayside.

Dominik Szoboszlai’s season in numbers

So far, Szoboszlai has chalked up 30 appearances for the Reds, scoring six goals and providing four assists for his teammates, though this does not paint the full picture.

As per Sofascore, he has been one of Liverpool’s standout performers in the Premier League, scoring three goals and supplying two assists across 22 matches, completing 88% of his passes, averaging 1.7 key passes, 1.3 tackles, and 6.0 ball recoveries per game.

Dubbed the “Hungarian artist” by talent scout Jacek Kulig for his playmaking prowess, Szoboszlai has truly been a masterful presence and while he’s not perfect, the energy and enthusiasm that he pumps into his performances are a far cry from the travails on show last year.

Moreover, as per FBref, the £120k-per-week gem ranks among the top 14% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 3% for shot-creating actions, the top 4% for progressive carries, the top 9% for successful take-ons and the top 9% for blocks per 90.

His displays have been filled with quality and there is a real sense that Klopp is not wielding the final product; while market valuation doesn’t tell the full story, the excellent wizard’s skyrocketing market value does underline his brilliance at the heart of the Anfield side.

Dominik Szoboszlai’s market value in 2024

£60m is no small sum but, in fairness, is often the ballpark figure for many of the modern game’s more expensive – though not remarkably so – deals.

It’s a larger figure that Liverpool would have liked to have parted with but when the perfect player to star at the nucleus of the rebuild presents himself, incisiveness is required, and Klopp and technical director at the time Jorg Schmadtke pounced.

And, after an emphatic introduction to life on Merseyside, Szoboszlai has enjoyed quite the rise in valuation already, with CIES Football Observatory’s valuation model listing the 6 foot 1 dynamo at £85m, which marks a stunning £25m rise – or, in other terms, a 42% increase.

To emphasise the merit of this, the Reds star has already eclipsed Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, who is valued at £68m by CIES Football Observatory, which shows that FSG hit the jackpot on the Leipzig whiz.

Fernandes signed for the Red Devils from Sporting Lisbon for an initial £47m back in January 2020, and while the Portugal international has been embroiled in a tumultuous Old Trafford career, he is indisputably one of Europe’s high-class playmakers.

Having amassed 221 displays for Manchester United, the £240k-per-week phenomenon boasts an excellent return of 71 goals and 63 assists and has been heralded as a “magician” by Statman Dave for his labours.

Indeed, the 29-year-old ranks among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 3% for passes attempted, the top 1% for progressive passes, the top 13% for tackles and the top 14% for interceptions per 90.

Perhaps the respective players are not quite cut from the same cloth, but they are definitely both dynamic and tenacious in their play, creative and influential in attacking sequences but also eager to contribute to the defensive phases of play.

While Fernandes has been the cream of the crop on English soil for some time – barring his Greater Manchester neighbour Kevin De Bruyne – the younger Szoboszlai is proving to be effective for a Liverpool side already displacing Manchester United as Carabao Cup champions this season, and still on the prowl for success across every available front.

Hopefully, the Hungarian maestro will continue to contribute to Liverpool’s strong form on the pitch and help to secure the first Premier League title of his impressive career so far.