Sell Him or Pay Him, Liverpool Chose Correctly

Dominik Szoboszlai is expected to sign a new 5-year deal with Liverpool today

I’ve said all year that if Liverpool couldn’t secure Dominik Szoboszlai to a new contract this summer, then they should try to sell him with the two years left on his current deal. We’ve lived through the pain of watching elite talent drift towards the end of their contracts before. Trent went, Konaté followed, and nobody wanted another saga hanging over the club.

The fact that Liverpool have never seriously considered cashing in tells you everything. They clearly believed he would commit, and that’s exactly why you don’t panic. You back your judgement, you do the work behind the scenes, and you reward a player who has earned it.

Some will inevitably complain that he’s now joining the club’s top wage bracket. Those same voices would’ve been the first to ask how Liverpool allowed one of Europe’s best midfielders to walk away for nothing in two years’ time. You cannot demand the club keep its best players while objecting every time the bill arrives.

On the pitch, this feels like a natural progression. Szoboszlai has developed into Liverpool’s heartbeat. The work rate, the quality, the responsibility, they’re all there. I would be amazed if he isn’t named vice-captain in the near future, and when Virgil van Dijk eventually steps aside, I think he’ll be the leading candidate to become the next permanent skipper.

Do I think he’s perfect? No. At times, he can seem detached from the average supporter. The fashion, the tone-deaf socials and the occasional shrug towards fans can create that impression. Then again, modern footballers live in a world few of us can truly understand. Judging them by everyday standards is easier than appreciating the environment in which they exist.

Liverpool needed certainty. When this deal is announced later today, they’ve secured exactly that.