Liverpool was right about Bellingham, and the championship bid of $115 million showed why
The Liverpool duo have been outstanding in many ways this season and gave Jürgen Klopp exactly what the club desperately needed last season.
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Liverpool were in the spotlight less than half a year ago when news of the club backing out of a potential deal for Jude Bellingham was revealed. To be honest, the anger was justified due to the constant links with the midfielder. In the end, however, few could justify this decision. Bellingham alone could never have solved all of Jurgen Klopp’s problems.
Spending too much money on a player when Liverpool needed at least two or three quality midfielders was not an option.
Instead, Liverpool chose the “smart” option by signing Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis MacAllister.
And after the first few months at the club, few could argue with that decision. Yes, Bellingham rose to prominence at Real Madrid and there is no doubt that he is a generational talent, but Liverpool also have two gems in Mac Allister and Szoboszlai.
The duo cost $115m (£95m/€109m), slightly more than Bellingham’s total fee of $109m (£90m/€103m) for Real Madrid, and getting two players for one price has certainly paid dividends for the club. .
Both Szoboszlai and Mac Allister breathed fresh air into Liverpool’s midfield. There is more energy going forward and Klopp now has the players to make things happen in crucial moments, such as Szoboszlai’s penalty winner against Bournemouth that helped tie the game, the first goal against Aston Villa and Mac Allister’s generous assist at the weekend. against West Ham to give the Reds the lead.
But while much has been made of their ability to contribute going forward, it’s also important to address how important the two have been defensively as well. Liverpool Dominik Szoboszlai Alexis MacAllister
Liverpool’s new signings Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis MacAllister have adapted brilliantly. (Photo: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Last season, Liverpool’s midfield was vulnerable and very easy for the opposition to exploit. Klopp needed players who could bring stability to the middle of the park and that is exactly what Szoboszlai and Mac Allister achieved.
It’s no coincidence that Mac Allister has made the most saves in the Premier League for Liverpool so far (8), with Szoboszlai second most (7). In combined tackles and interceptions, Mac Allister is first in the Liverpool team (21) and Szoboszlai is fifth (13), according to FBref. At the same time, in terms of recovery, only Andy Robertson (48) did more in the Liverpool team than Szoboszlai (42) and Mac Allister (35).
Their contributions in defense have probably gone under the microscope, but they have been just as important as their brilliance higher up the pitch in ensuring Liverpool’s bright and promising start to the season.
It’s probably no coincidence that Liverpool have scored the second most goals (5) this season behind Manchester City (3).
And Klopp is very happy with the pair’s contributions so far. The exciting part is that there is much more to come.
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