by Chris Bascombe
Liverpool new boy Dominik Szoboszlai has assumed the role of noisy neighbour to his close friend Erling Haaland, warning the Manchester City striker ‘we’re coming for your title’.
Szoboszlai and Haaland formed a bond during their time at RB Salzburg, with the Hungary skipper buying a house near Manchester, two doors down from the Norway striker.
But their respect off the field will be an intensive rivalry on it, with the £60 million signing unhesitant when asked who will finish higher in the Premier League.
“Us,” he said of Liverpool.
“I always think that way. Even if this is hard and there are very good teams in the Premier League, we are also very good. We have a very good coach and players. We are going to do our best and at the end I want to be first.
“I am this type. I like to win. I like to do everything for the team. If they ask me if I want to win the Premier League, of course I want to win it. If I want to win the Europa League and the FA Cup, the same. Everything we can do this year. I want to win everything because nobody is going to ask you how it feels to be second.”
Asked if it might be too soon for Klopp’s Liverpool to mount a serious title challenge, especially as City have signed another ex-team mate Josko Gvardiol, Szoboszlai said: “We will see. We have a lot of games. They (City mainly) have a lot of games and we have to play against them as well. I think everybody in the Premier League who has a chance to win, they are going to want to win. We are thinking the same. The other guys (Haaland and Gvardiol) are going to think the same if you ask them.
“He (Haaland) is my really good friend but I don’t really care about that for these 95 or 100 minutes. He doesn’t care as well, probably. This is normal. I am looking for myself and my team-mates to help and if I am going to score a last-minute goal I am even happier.
“I played with Haaland at Salzburg, with Christo Nkunku in Leipzig and Josko Gvardiol, I am also really close with him. Of course they are still my friends but still for this 90, 95 minutes they will not be my friends.”
Szoboszlai admits Haaland’s success at City has inspired him to reach similar heights.
“Yeah, he came here and showed himself, scoring over 50 goals in a season. I knew he was going to do it because I knew his quality,” he said.
“What he did last year he is probably going to continue. But I am looking to continue for my team. We are friends but I am looking for myself.
“He is probably two houses next to me. He knows my family, I know his family a little bit. We speak about how they are, how he is. Everyday stuff, not the football, a little bit outside. But of course football (talk) is coming as well.”
