I had three days to decide £60m Liverpool transfer

I had three days to decide £60m Liverpool transfer - but one phone call made it easy

Dominik Szoboszlai had just three days to arrange a £60m Liverpool transfer from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2023

Dominik Szoboszlai celebrates with the Premier League trophy at the end of the match between Liverpool and Crystal Palace at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on May 25, 2025. (Image: PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images )

Dominik Szoboszlai admits he had just three days to wrap up his £60m move to Liverpool in 2023 and revealed how a face-to-face chat with former manager Jurgen Klopp smoothed the pathway to Anfield.

The Reds signed the Hungary international from RB Leipzig two years ago after triggering a release clause that was days away from expiring in his contract with the Bundesliga club.

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Szoboszlai was available for £60m until the beginning of July that year and as the Reds pressed ahead with a midfield rebuild that also saw them bring in Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch that summer, the Reds had to act fast to avoid drawn-out negotiations with Leipzig, who were keen to retain the all-action midfielder.

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In an interview with Red Bull, Szoboszlai has explained how the affair had to be concluded relatively swiftly and revealed how a FaceTime call with the legendary Klopp helped put him at ease ahead of a move to England.

"It was an easy choice," Szoboszlai says. "If a big club and manager like Jurgen comes, you don’t even really need to think. It was a quick decision - we had to decide everything in three days - and he called me on FaceTime.

"We talked, and of course, I was nervous. I wasn’t sure how to act, but then I remembered that he’s also human. We talked nicely in German, which made it easier, and it happened quickly after this.

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"This is one of the most difficult parts of becoming a footballer. Leaving your family and being around people you don’t know, speaking another language.

"You have to learn to speak German or English and get to know the team. You have to play twice as well as your team-mates, as if you play at the same level, they will choose them and not you. It’s a huge step.

"It’s a very proud moment [to win the Premier League]. As a little child, you always dream about achieving these trophies. It was a long journey up until now and I’m still not close to the end hopefully.

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"My family are proud of me and without them, I wouldn’t be here. I’m proud of them as well – that they kept on going with me and now we will keep on going together.

"My dad (Zsolt) has all the medals I’ve won. Some trophies as well, not the original ones, but I made replicas to keep for us. That’s what I’m going to do with the Premier League as well. He has all of them, but I’m thinking of getting everything made again and keeping them for myself to build a trophy room."

On his friendship with former Red Bull Salzburg team-mate and current Manchester City star Erling Haaland, Szoboszlai added: "We’re still in contact now. We’re both going for the Premier League title every year, so we see each other sometimes.

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"We talk, but we like to talk [but] not about football. Every day for us is about football, so when we talk, we talk about something else."

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