Szoboszlai’s Pre-Season Form Gives Slot a Midfield Selection Headache (1 Viewer)

[MartinGee]

Dominik Szoboszlai has been turning heads in pre-season, impressing in a deeper midfield role and potentially putting himself in contention for a starting spot under Arne Slot, according to Reds reporter David Lynch.

Liverpool fell to Crystal Palace on penalties in the Community Shield on Sunday, with first-choice No. 6 Ryan Gravenberch absent after becoming a father. In his place, Szoboszlai partnered Curtis Jones in a double pivot. While his display against Palace was mixed, he’d been excellent in the same role during earlier pre-season games.

Lynch believes Szoboszlai’s performances have been so strong that Slot will have to consider him there more often, he also explained:

“He’s better suited to a No. 8 role. He doesn’t have the craft of someone like Wirtz or a classic No. 10, but as an eight he arrives late into space, times his runs well, and becomes a better shooter because of that.”

With Florian Wirtz arriving this summer, Szoboszlai is unlikely to get many minutes in the No. 10 position he occupied last season. That could open the door for him in central midfield, especially since Alexis Mac Allister who usually played alongside Gravenberch in 2024-25 has only just returned from injury and isn’t as physically dynamic as Szoboszlai. Lynch suggests the Hungarian’s athleticism could be a real asset in defending against quick transitions.

Still, Lynch doesn’t see Mac Allister losing his starting place entirely. Instead, he expects more rotation this season:

“Liverpool’s midfield depth is incredible, and Slot will see that as a good problem to have. I’ve spoken to people at the club who expect more rotation, especially now the squad has more flexibility.”

He even floated the idea of Wirtz occasionally playing off the left, allowing for a more solid midfield setup in tougher games.

Mac Allister was arguably Liverpool’s best midfielder last season, so benching him regularly for Szoboszlai would be a surprise but given the Hungarian’s pre-season form, Slot has a genuine selection dilemma on his hands.