“His life changed just when he signed for Liverpool” – Ibrahima Konate says he is ‘happy’ for teammate after Anfield move
Ibrahima Konate is happy for his former RB Leipzig teammate Dominik Szoboszlai after the Hungary captain signed for Liverpool. The Reds decided to trigger the player's £70 million release clause to sign him from the Bundesliga club.
Konate has previously played with Szoboszlai at Leipzig. The 22-year-old midfielder will wear the legendary number 8 shirt, previously donned by Steven Gerrard.
Speaking about Szoboszlai's move to Anfield, Konate told Liverpool's official media:
“I’m very happy for him and now I think he understands it’s a very, very big club. I think his life changed just when he signed for Liverpool. I’m happy for him to be here.”
Szoboszlai was a top player for Leipzig during his stint in Germany, scoring 20 goals and providing 22 assists in 91 matches for the German club. Whether the Hungary captain can turn out to be an integral part of the Reds remains to be seen.
Here's what Jurgen Klopp said about Liverpool signing Dominik Szoboszlai
The Merseysiders have signed one of the top prospects in world football in the form of Domink Szoboszlai. The midfielder possesses a wide passing range, and apart from that, he is also a great shooter of the ball.
Jurgen Klopp is delighted at having the Hungarian in the team. Speaking about his team signing Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig in the summer transfer market, Klopp said (via Liverpool's official website):
"We already have a little knowledge of Dominik as an opponent because we had a couple of really tough games against Red Bull Salzburg when he was a player there and I think everyone who saw those fixtures will have realised that even at that stage he was a really interesting prospect."
He added:
"I'm pretty sure he was still a teenager at that time and since then he has made some big strides – moving to Leipzig, doing really, really well in the Bundesliga, playing for the Hungary national team and then becoming captain of his national team at an incredibly young age."
Klopp further said:
"These are proper positives and this is even before we even think about his qualities as a footballer. I will not say too much about them at this stage except they are definitely the kind which will hopefully bring a lot of enjoyment and also help us to get results."
Apart from Szoboszlai, Liverpool have also signed Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton & Hove Albion. The Reds are certainly doing their bit in the summer market to prepare for the upcoming season.