Dominik Szoboszlai’s performances were key to Liverpool’s title win in 2024/25, and there’s still exciting potential for more goals and assists. The arrival of Florian Wirtz could even help, not hinder.Still only 24 years old, the Hungarian has room for improvementthe which will be keenly anticipated given how important his contributions have already been to Liverpool’s success.The team are set to have a new look in 2025/26 as Arne Slot brings in new recruits and starts to build a team for his own era.Rather than being pushed to the periphery, Szoboszlai could well play a key role in the attempt at a title defence and the challenge for more trophies next season.Dominik Szoboszlai is vital out of possessionWhen Szoboszlai signed for Liverpool ahead of Jurgen Klopp’s final season, the perception was one of a player whose technique and creativity would lead to an eye-catching highlights reel of long-range goals and assists.Not necessarily a luxury player, but certainly a refined one.During his two seasons at the club, another, perhaps unheralded trait, has emerged and helped the team win the Premier League title in 2025. This cultured player came with an engine.After all, Red Bull teams are among the most-heavily branded clubs in the world, and the perception of that brand is one of a tireless style of play that supports their purpose as energy drinks marketers. It’s not unusual that a player with an intense off-the-ball work rate would emerge from these clubs, and Szoboszlai’s time at Liverpool has revealed the extent to which this is, or can be, part of his game.Klopp recently described Szoboszlai as “the best pressing player in Europe right now,” and Slot voiced similar praise during the season.“He doesn’t always get the credit for the fact he’s very important for this team because his work-rate is unbelievable,” Slot said following a 4-1 win at home to Ipswich in January.“He just keeps on running with the highest intensity, and that is so important for a team that wants to compete for something.”This work rate in defence helped Mohamed Salah have one of the best seasons of his career and means the right-back can be more attacking, which will still be handy when Jeremie Frimpong takes up this role in the coming season.Szoboszlai’s attacking output may not attract attention as often as it should, but the out-of-possession work beneath that has been hugely important to Liverpool’s success.Finding extra in attackIf Szoboszlai can start to replicate his RB Leipzig output to go alongside his work rate, he will be one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.He reached double figures for goals in three of his last four seasons with Red Bull (or Rasenballsport) clubs, and also reached double figures for assists in two of those. Double figures in either column is a feat he is yet to achieve for Liverpool.It doesn’t always feel like Szoboszlai has underperformed in terms of his attacking numbers; it’s more the feeling that exciting potential remains for him to improve in that area.Part of that anticipation lies in the fact that he wouldn’t need to do too much extra to take the next step in attack.Despite Slot’s tactical tweaks, Szoboszlai has worked in roughly similar midfield areas across his two seasons at Liverpool.What did change is some of his final-third decision-making. It was a redesign linked to Slot’s tactics, which meant his shots came from much closer to goal and his movement was in the forward line as much as it was in midfield.The shot maps below, from 2023/24 (top) and 2024/25 (below), show an increase in shots from more advantageous positions.His expected goals tally (xG) also rose dramatically thanks to this, and he was third in the team for big chances created and expected assists in 2024/25.Just a small improvement in the final third could turn him into a star midfielder who changes games.Does Florian Wirtz’s arrival impact Dominik Szoboszlai?There is speculation that Wirtz will replace Szoboszlai as the No. 10 in the Liverpool XI.Attacking midfield is seen as the German’s best position and the club are not likely to leave their record signing out of the team too often.The pair could easily play in the same lineup, though, and Szoboszlai’s role, which is more of a right-sided No. 10 in a midfield three than a central attacker in a 4-2-3-1, allows some flexibility.Szoboszlai could easily retain his role on the right in support of Salah, while Wirtz operates similarly from the left.Whether this means the German playing as the false-nine, left-sided forward or replicating Szoboszlai’s role but on the left in what must surely have been termed somewhere already as a double-10, remains to be seen, but there are numerous options.Another one of those options would be for Szoboszlai to drop deeper and play as a No. 8, similar to the role Mac Allister has played, operating as the second midfielder in the staggered three with Wirtz taking Szoboszlai’s place as the third.There are many options and many of them would accommodate Wirtz as well as Szoboszlai in the same XI, but at the same time, Szoboszlai was one of the players who clearly tired towards the end of the 2024/25 season, as he had also done the season before.Therefore, rotation options and not relying on the same players each week is good for the team.It could mean they are better suited to staying longer in other competitions, as the depth will mean Slot trusts more of his midfielders. Szoboszlai remains one of his most trusted.Best moment: Putting Liverpool 2-0 up at Man City, having already assisted Mohamed Salah for the opener.Worst moment: Not shooting when clean-through away to Aston Villa, instead squaring to Darwin Nunez.Role next season: A difficult question but we would expect him to be rotated often with Florian Wirtz.