Steven Gerrard tells FSG to ‘keep’ £60m Liverpool star and ‘build team around’ five players as Arne Slot feels sack ‘pressure’ | OneFootball

Steven Gerrard has said that Liverpool owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), have to keep Dominik Szoboszlai at the club, as manager Arne Slot admits that he is under “pressure” following the Reds’ defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion.

Szoboszlai has been on the books of Liverpool since the summer of 2023, when he joined from RB Leipzig for £60million and is under contract at the defending Premier League champions until the summer of 2028.

The Hungary international midfielder has been a big success at Liverpool and has been arguably the team’s best player so far this season.

Not only has Szoboszlai starred for Liverpool in midfield and has been a force to be reckoned with, but the 25-year-old has also done well at right-back when Reds manager Arne Slot has deployed him in that position.

Liverpool are in talks with Szoboszlai over a new contract, but Real Madrid remain keen on signing the star this summer.

Hungarian media have previously credited Manchester City with interest in Szoboszlai, who club legend Steven Gerrard believes needs to stay at Anfield for Liverpool to be successful.

The TNT Sports pundit has also named four other players around whom Liverpool should build their team going forward – Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Rio Ngumoha.

Gerrard said on TNT Sports (12:09pm, March 21, 2026): “Szoboszlai has been at [Liverpool since] the back-end of [the] Klopp [era], he is a Klopp-type player.

“He is a wonderful signing. They need to keep him here.

“You know, there have been a couple of rumours that maybe other teams are looking at him.

“If you can build the team around Ekitike, Wirtz, Szoboszlai, Isak, and you think of Rio coming in the next 12, 18 months, if Liverpool can recruit really well from a defensive point of view, get a little bit more power in midfield, Liverpool will be again back fighting for the big prizes.”

Gerrard made the aforementioned comments in the build-up to the Premier League game between Brighton and Hove Albion and Liverpool at the American Express Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Liverpool slumped to a 2-1 defeat, with former Manchester United forward Danny Welbeck scoring both goals for Brighton.

The defending Premier League champions remain in danger of missing out on the top four and even the top five.

Liverpool manager Slot has been under pressure since the opening months of the season.

While FSG have made no definitive calls on the future of Slot, who is likely to hold talks with FSG over his future at the end of the season, the Dutchman has admitted that he is under ‘pressure’ to deliver Champions League football for next season.

Slot told TNT Sports after the match when asked about the pressure to end the season on a high: “There is always pressure at Liverpool. On me, on the players. That is completely normal.

“We have qualified for the quarter finals of the FA Cup and the Champions League but in the league we need to make sure that in the end, we qualify for the Champions League.

“As much as I dislike us losing here today, Brighton away has always been a difficult one and will always be a difficult one as long as they keep bringing in so many good players.

“But there are other games where we should have picked up more points, like last week against Tottenham.

“That is far more unacceptable than this. But even away at Brighton, a club like Liverpool should be able to get a result.”