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Liverpool's thoughts on Mason Mount to Man Utd transfer after signing Dominik Szoboszlai
Liverpool considered signing Mason Mount before switching their attention to Dominik Szoboszlai.
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Liverpool reportedly feel that a move for Mason Mount was too expensive and that is why the Reds turned their attention to Dominik Szoboszlai. Mount was confirmed as a new Manchester United signing on Monday but initially seemed destined to move to Anfield earlier this summer.
Jurgen Klopp’s desire to oversee a major rebuild of his midfield saw him identify Mount as a potential addition towards the end of last season. The 24-year-old playmaker had decided to leave Chelsea having failed to agree to a contract extension beyond 2024.
Liverpool’s interest saw them battle with United and Arsenal for Mount, but the Anfield hierarchy eventually pulled out of a move. It was decided that the cost would be too expensive in a similar move that saw them pass up England starlet Jude Bellingham, who joined Real Madrid.
United had the advantage of Champions League football for the 2023-24 campaign and therefore had the budget to meet Mount’s demands. Protracted negotiations and at least three rejected bids saw the Red Devils finally sign their man for £60m this week.
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But according to The Athletic, Liverpool had long decided that they would not pursue Mount. The former Blues star is expected to earn around £250,000 per week at Old Trafford, a figure that the Reds could not justify paying.
There was supposedly an understanding that a move for Mount would prove far too expensive, especially as the player held all the power with only a year remaining on his contract at Chelsea.
Instead, Liverpool targeted a slightly cheaper deal for Szoboszlai, who has become the new No 8 at Anfield. The Hungarian star, who joins from RB Leipzig, was acquired for a similar fee to Mount but is claimed to have signed a contract worth far less at £120,000 per week.
Szoboszlai has revealed that he spoke with former RB Salzburg team-mate Erling Haaland about the Premier League and England. Manchester City’s prolific ace advised the creative midfielder on where to live in the north-west.
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"We've talked, so much so that Erling Haaland has also advised on finding real estate, and it could very well be that we become neighbours,” Szoboszlai told Hungarian outlet Nemzeti Sport.
“I learned from him that several players live halfway between Manchester and Liverpool in a quiet area where privacy can be preserved, and on Monday I will see what he was talking about. I am very curious.
"And of course, putting our friendship aside during the Liverpool-Manchester City matches, it will surely be a fantastic experience to play against each other."