Jurgen Klopp sent Dominik Szoboszlai advice by midfielder's former manager
- Liverpool have triggered Szoboszlai's €70m release clause
- Medical checks are already underway
- Hungary international to become Liverpool's second summer signing
By Tom Gott
Jurgen Klopp has been told how to get the best out of imminent arrival Dominik Szoboszlai by a former manager of the Hungary international.
Liverpool have triggered the €70m release clause in Szoboszlai's contract and wasted little time booking him in for a medical with a view to completing the transfer as quickly as possible.
Should all go according to plan, Szoboszlai will become the second midfield reinforcement of the summer after Liverpool brought in Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton last month.
Ahead of Szoboszlai's imminent move to Anfield, manager Gerhard Struber, who coached the midfielder in the Red Bull Salzburg academy and gave him his first taste of senior football with feeder side FC Liefering, sent a message to Klopp about how to maximise Szoboszlai's impact.
"I have many many big talents next to me like Naby Keita, Taki Minamino, Patson Daka - so many players who play for Leipzig in the German Bundesliga and then make the jump to the Premier League," he explained to Redmen TV. "I had so many top talents next to me but I can say Dominik Szoboszlai was always a player who surprised us.
READ THE LATEST LIVERPOOL NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS & GOSSIP
feed
"We saw the potential in him at this time and also what I see and I never forget is that sometimes the team would have an off day and he was always on the field. He would train on days off. I was in my office, I can see him outside and he would make some special corner kicks, free kicks with the balls on the field.
"I think next to a top talent what he is, I can see also a high ambition and in this direction, two things come together – very high work ethic plus a super talent.
"I think sometimes a match plan was not helpful - he needs freedom, he needs space for himself to create his special direction. He did a great job in the last few years and this step to Liverpool could be the next trampoline for Liverpool."
An attacking midfielder by trade, Szoboszlai has spent time as both a traditional central midfielder and also a winger, with the vast majority of his minutes last season coming from the right side of Leipzig's attack.
LISTEN NOW
On this week's edition of Talking Transfers, part of the 90min podcast network, Scott Saunders is joined by Toby Cudworth, Graeme Bailey and Sean Walsh to discuss Mason Mount's impending move to Man Utd, Arsenal's various deals, Liverpool's pursuit of Dominik Szoboszlai and more!
If you can't see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!