Agreement in principle: Liverpool set to punish Real Madrid as January deal looks imminent

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Empire of the Kop

·10. Januar 2026

Agreement in principle: Liverpool set to punish Real Madrid as January deal looks imminent

Dominik Szoboszlai is now expected to commit his future to Liverpool and sign a new long-term contract.

That’s the word coming from CaughtOffside, with interest from Bayern Munich and Real Madrid set to be rebuffed by the Hungarian midfielder.

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This comes amid ongoing contract talks with Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister.

Dominik Szoboszlai has been Liverpool’s standout player

(Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Fotmob’s statistical analysis might not agree, but the eye test would more than back up the notion that Szoboszlai has been a leading force in this Liverpool side in the 2025/26 season.

* Liverpool players’ average Premier League ratings in the 2025/26 season (Fotmob)

The former RB Leipzig sensation has proven more than reliable on the ball and a superb battler in the middle of the park compared to his positional peers in the Premier League:

Dispossessed 0.7 times per 90 (87th percentile)
47.5% duels won per 90 (74th percentile)
50% aerial duels won per 90 (86th percentile)
0.6 interceptions per 90 (71st percentile)
5.12 recoveries per 90 (87th percentile)

With that in mind, it’s unsurprising that fellow elite outfits in Bayern and Real Madrid were at least monitoring the situation to see if this was yet another contract saga that wouldn’t work out in our favour.

How does Szoboszlai compare to midfielders across Europe?

There’s no question that Liverpool rate their number eight highly – and rightly so, given his rather stunning metrics.

Compared to midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues, Dominik Szoboszlai excels both as a creative and offensive force.

* Dominik Szoboszlai’s stats over the last 365 days per 90 (FBref)

In our view, what was, with the benefit of hindsight, a legendary window under Jorg Schmadtke simply doesn’t get enough credit.

The signings of Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch in one transfer window completely transformed the fortunes of a Liverpool side in transition.

We’re now sitting in an advantageous position with one of the best midfield trios in world football.

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