“I Haven’t Seen That” – Rio Ferdinand Disagrees With Paul Merson As He Questions Hype Around £60M Liverpool Star

TNT Sports pundit Rio Ferdinand doesn’t think that Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai has been as impressive this season as some other pundits and fans have made out.

The Hungarian international has certainly caught the eye with his displays since moving from RB Leipzig for £60m in the summer but, speaking on his FIVE YouTube channel, Ferdinand said that praise for Szoboszlai has been over the top:

“I know everyone is hyping him, but I don’t think Dominik Szoboszlai has done (as well as people make out). He’s a good player but people are saying ‘oh, he’s the next [Steven] Gerrard!’ and I haven’t seen that yet.”

“I see loads of their [fans’] comments. But one of my mates in my group always says it. But he is easy on the eye.”

Ferdinand may have a point

If you look at Szoboszlai’s numbers since arriving at Anfield in July, he hasn’t exactly contributed a great deal, with 4 goals and 3 assists in 26 appearances.

For that reason, Ferdinand’s criticism is fair. However, it must be pointed out that Szoboszlai is still only 23 years of age, and there is scope for him to improve in the future.

The Liverpool star does have other fans

While he may not have impressed Ferdinand, Szoboszlai has attracted the attention of former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson, who called him his “favourite player in the Premier League” back in November.

The Hungarian is certainly an exciting player to watch with his lung-bursting runs forward, strong dribbling and an excellent right foot that can hammer the ball from long distance.

While Szoboszlai may not be the second coming of Steven Gerrard, he does possess all the qualities that suggest he will have a long and successful career with the Reds.

Watch a preview of Liverpool’s plans for the January transfer window on Shots!TV here

Shots TV Logo
David Tully

David Tully

David has worked as a football reporter for the last fifteen years. Having started as an intern at Snack Media, he then went on to become a freelancer, working on various different sites. At the start of 2023, he took up his current role as content writer for National World's Football News Network.