Liverpool made a blistering start to the 2023 summer transfer window after swiftly signing Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton & Hove Albion for a bargain £35m, but are yet to make their next move.
That's despite a wealth of names entering transfer circulation, mostly focussing on the midfield after the departures of James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain at the end of their contracts.
However, following a revelation from The Athletic's David Ornstein earlier this week, it could be that the next man to join the Anfield ranks is Red Bull Leipzig star Dominik Szoboszlai, who has enjoyed an exemplary campaign with his German Bundesliga outfit.
Ornstein's report reveals that Liverpool met with the Hungarian's representatives, with a release clause of €70m (£61m) the requirement if the Reds' sporting director Jorg Schmadtke does decide to lodge a formal offer for the playmaker.
The sticking point comes in the clause's conditions, which purportedly expires at the end of June and as such leaves Jurgen Klopp's side with a paltry window of opportunity to make their move before the bargaining chips fall into Die Roten Bullen's hands.
How good is Dominik Szoboszlai?
Should Liverpool decide to pay the lucrative sum to procure the fleet-footed phenom, they would wield a creative midfielder of a calibre unseen on Merseyside since Philippe Coutinho plied his trade for the club.
And what a signing it would be; Szoboszlai has made 91 appearances since arriving from RB Salzburg, registering 42 direct goal contributions and has been hailed as a "generational talent" by journalist Marcel Moeller.
This season, the 22-year-old scored ten goals and supplied 13 assists from 46 outings as Leipzig secured a third-place finish in the German top-flight, also winning the DFB Pokal for the second season in succession.
Given his ability as a dynamic and prolific No. 10, Szoboszlai could be Klopp's answer to Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes, who has cemented his stature as one of Europe's premium attacking midfielders since joining the Red Devil ranks from Sporting Lisbon for an initial £47m in January 2020.
Fernandes has scored 64 goals and registered 54 assists from 185 outings for the Old Trafford side and has been hailed as the "example" and "inspiration" by his manager Erik ten Hag as United clinched the Carabao Cup last term and finished third in the league.
As per FBref, the £240k-per-week Portuguese gem ranks among the top 3% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 6% for passes attempted, the top 5% for progressive passes, the top 20% for tackles and the top 5% for clearances per 90.
This all-encompassing skill set exemplifies the nature of his trade and why he has been so effective over the past several years and is something that Szoboszlai could certainly emulate, given that he is listed as a 'similar player' to the Portugal maestro.
This is evidenced through the 32-cap Hungary captain's FBref metrics, where he ranks among the top 15% for assists, the top 9% for shot-creating actions, the top 13% for progressive passes, the top 11% for blocks and the top 13% for clearances per 90.
Described as a "magician" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Szoboszlai is exactly what Liverpool need to thread the thirds together and restore balance and cohesion to Klopp's outfit, and despite the high valuation, he must be signed to close the gap on the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United after a lacklustre year.