Dominik Szoboszlai has been one of Arne Slot‘s most-used and most important players this season, but Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool need an upgrade.
Heading into the final five games of the campaign, only four players have clocked more minutes on the pitch for Liverpool than Szoboszlai.
Those are Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and midfield partners Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister, who are also the only players to have started more games.
Salah (55), Cody Gakpo (21) and Luis Diaz (20) are the only players to have made more goal contributions than Szoboszlai, who is tied with Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez on 12.
But Carragher has argued that Liverpool need more than what the Hungarian is offering in the No. 10 role and that a new attacking midfielder should be a priority this summer.
“I think [with] Szoboszlai, Liverpool can improve that,” he said on the Stick to Football podcast.
“I know he’s a completely different player, he’s got great energy, but when you think what Arsenal have got in Odegaard, what Man City had in De Bruyne in the past, Chelsea have got Cole Palmer.
“Someone who’s going to get you close to 15, 20 goals a season from that position.
“I think three positions [to sign that would go] straight in the team – left-back, attacking midfield, centre-forward – and then the other positions – left wing, central midfield and centre-back – they could be players who are really pushing.
“Not squad players, but three players to come straight into the team and another three players really pushing the other [starter].”
Szoboszlai has explained his low numbers
Carragher’s suggestion that Liverpool should make six new signings is certainly not outlandish, though whether the club will prioritise a new No. 10 is doubtful.
It is widely expected that a left-back will arrive first, with Bournemouth‘s Milos Kerkez their primary target, while his teammate Dean Huijsen is being pursued for centre-back.
• READ: Liverpool journalist expects 5 signings as key positions and targets explained
Much will depend on how Slot views the No. 10 role himself, with Szoboszlai explaining in an interview with Sky Sports this week that he feels his attacking output is impacted by the demands off the ball.
“[I play] a free role as an attacking part, but I have to cover a lot for my right side,” he said.
“I’m doing that also for Mo, for the team, for everyone. I’m just happy to help the team and that’s my role.
“Sometimes I feel tired, sometimes I feel like if I wouldn’t have done that I would have more energy for attacking, but as long as the team is happy, then I think every individual is happy.”
There are 10 attacking midfielders who have made more goal contributions than Szoboszlai in this season’s Premier League, including two loosely linked with Liverpool ahead of the summer in Morgan Rogers and Morgan Gibbs-White.
