Jurgen Klopp has insisted there is no ‘pressure’ on Dominik Szoboszlai after he completed his £60 million move to Liverpool.
Liverpool announced the signing of the Hungary international on Sunday evening after the Reds triggered his release clause at RB Leipzig.
Szoboszlai enjoyed a fine season for Leipzig, scoring 10 goals and providing 13 assists in 46 appearances across all competitions, performances that attracted the attention of a number of clubs, including Newcastle.
However, it was Liverpool that moved swiftly to trigger his €70m release clause, with the 22-year-old agreeing terms and completing a medical before finalising the move to Merseyside.
Szoboszlai will wear the number 8 shirt once worn by club legend Steven Gerrard, and speaking after the move was made official, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was full of praise for his new signing, while insisting there is no pressure on what is still a ‘very young player’.
“The first thing for me to say is welcome to Liverpool, Dominik. I know how excited he is to be here with us, so it is important that he understands that we are all just as excited to have him,” he told the Liverpool FC website.
“We already have a little knowledge of Dominik as an opponent because we had a couple of really tough games against Red Bull Salzburg when he was a player there and I think everyone who saw those fixtures will have realised that even at that stage he was a really interesting prospect.
Learn perfect pronunciation of Dominik Szoboszlai from the man himself 👌 pic.twitter.com/EtUfUazHJZ
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 2, 2023
“I’m pretty sure he was still a teenager at that time and since then he has made some big strides – moving to Leipzig, doing really, really well in the Bundesliga, playing for the Hungary national team and then becoming captain of his national team at an incredibly young age.
“These are proper positives and this is even before we even think about his qualities as a footballer. I will not say too much about them at this stage except they are definitely the kind which will hopefully bring a lot of enjoyment and also help us to get results.
“There is no pressure, though. Dominik is still a very young player. He has so much development ahead of him and this means it makes sense for us all to be patient and to give him the time and space to allow his talent to come through within our team.
“The good thing is we have supporters who understand this process. I know the fans are as excited as we are but I am also aware, because I have seen it many times already, that they will be a massive help to us in terms of creating the conditions that will allow Dominik to thrive.
“From the clubs he has been at, the leagues he has played in and the family he is part of, it is very clear that he has already had an outstanding football education, so our responsibility now is to continue this education with him as part of the Liverpool family.
“Everything about this is good news and I am very grateful to everyone at the club who has contributed to making it happen. This is a signing for our present and also for our future and the work that has gone into it could not be more appreciated.”
