Liverpool have been superb so far this season, and Arne Slot’s side have set an excellent platform from which they can kick on from. The Reds have lost just one game so far in the Premier League and the Champions League, currently topping the domestic table and sitting fifth in the new format of European football.
As per Sofascore, they already have four players with multiple goal involvements in the Premier League, after just seven games. Unsurprisingly, their most productive man in front of goal is Mohamed Salah. He has eight goals and assists to his name in the league so far. Luis Diaz is second with six goal involvements, Diogo Jota has four and Ibrahima Konate rounds out the list with two goals and assists to his name.
However, despite a strong start, the Reds have had some players who have struggled this term, including midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai.
Szoboszlai’s season so far
Now into his second campaign as a Liverpool player, the 23-year-old Hungarian has not quite started as fast as some others under the tutelage of Slot, especially in the Premier League.
Indeed, the former RB Leipzig playmaker, who cost the Reds £60m, has arguably never lived up to the large fee the Reds paid for him back in 2023. He has played 54 times for the English giants, scoring eight times and grabbing six assists.
So far this term, the midfielder has played nine times, scoring once and grabbing three assists. He has made a fast start in the Champions League, scoring against AC Milan and then grabbing an assist against Bologna. In the Premier League, however, the Hungarian has managed just one assist, for Salah against Manchester United, and has not scored yet.
With that being said, his underlying stats from the Premier League this term do not make for poor reading. According to Squawka, the 23-year-old has created 2.1 chances and played 11.1 forward passes per 90 minutes.
Stat (per 90)
Number
Pass accuracy
87.3%
Take-on success rate
75%
Passes completed in opposition half
27.3
Forward passes
11.1
Chances created
2.1
Take-ons completed
1.1
Shots on target
0.4
Whilst the £120k-per-week star’s underlying stats are not too much of a concern, perhaps a few appearances off the bench could help alleviate the pressure and get the best out of him. Slot may have the ideal replacement for the midfielder waiting to be unleashed from the academy.
The player who could replace Szoboszlai
The player in question here is 17-year-old England under-18 international, Trey Nyoni. Described as a “star in the making” by football scout Antonio Mango, there is plenty of hype around the midfielder among Liverpool fans, among whom he is highly rated.
It is not only Mango, nor the Anfield faithful who believe Nyoni has the potential to make it right at the very top. Legendary former manager Jurgen Klopp gave him his debut against Southampton in the FA Cup last term and named him on the bench several times, including for the Carabao Cup final victory against Chelsea.
He made a superb impression on the first team during pre-season, starring against the likes of Arsenal, Real Betis and Manchester United, before scoring against Sevilla at Anfield in the final game of pre-season.
He showed his class in those games, keeping possession superbly well and breaking lines with ease from midfield. The England under-18 international is a wonderful ball-carrier, and completed 100% of his dribbles against Betis, as per Sofascore.
There is no doubt that the teenager is a wonderful talent. Should Slot decide to drop Szoboszlai for the Reds’ next outing against Chelsea, it could be the perfect chance to unleash Nyoni.
It would be a baptism of fire, but for a player who is clearly very talented, it could be the perfect platform from which he can try and establish his place in the first-team squad.
Liverpool wanted £235m star in the making but signed Szoboszlai instead
Liverpool’s midfield would have been taken to another level with this addition.
ByKelan SarsonOct 7, 2024
