Last season, depth was not a word used when discussing Liverpool’s midfield, at least not in a positive light.
Jurgen Klopp’s side failed in their seasonal goals and finished fifth in the Premier League, missing out on Champions League, with the sapped and stuttering midfield at the core of the issue.
This season, there is optimism anew with a fresh crop of players restoring the Anfield centre, but the younger stars remain beneath the new additions.
Harvey Elliott is one such player, with his recent performance for England U21s showing that he can perform in the role that £60m summer signing Dominik Szoboszlai plays so astoundingly in the midfield.
How good is Dominik Szoboszlai?
Not has there arguably been a more transformative signing at Liverpool since Virgil van Dijk joined from Southampton for £75m, transcending the defence’s past performance.
The Hungary captain arrived from RB Leipzig having earned acclaim for his prowess as a “magician” by the likes of talent scout Jacek Kulig, posting ten goals and 13 assists and winning this second successive DFB Pokal.
Since arriving on Merseyside, the 22-year-old has been sensational, starting all eight of Liverpool’s Premier League matches thus far, completing 87% of his passes, making 2.1 key passes, 1.6 tackles and 7.4 ball recoveries per game and, perhaps most importantly, bringing energy and intelligence to turbo-charge the engine.
Described as “a young Steven Gerrard” for his playing style by former England striker Natasha Dowie, the £120k-per-week gem currently ranks among the top 12% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 10% for assists, the top 1% for shot-creating actions, the top 15% for successful carries, the top 7% for successful take-ons and the top 8% for blocks per 90, as per FBref.
He’s simply untouchable in the starting squad, but given that he can’t be expected to start every match, Klopp will be delighted with Elliott’s stunning display against Serbia for his nation this week.
How good is Harvey Elliott?
It’s easy to forget that Elliott is still only 20 years old, having been a member of Klopp’s squad for several years now after joining from Fulham aged just 16 in 2019.
A Premier League champion, Elliott has already made 75 appearances for the Reds and been hailed as a “special” talent by Fabrizio Romano, and while Liverpool struggled last term, he was entrusted with a prominent role – playing 46 times.
The dynamic midfielder still has strides to make in his defensive game but will continue to improve and boasts the technical prowess to serve as Szoboszlai’s understudy.
Indeed, he ranks among the top 8% of midfielders for total shots, the top 15% for shot-creating actions, the top 12% for progressive passes, the top 9% for progressive carries and the top 3% for blocks per 90.
Such metrics evidence his creative skills and energy and enthusiasm on the pitch, and with a little bit more work he really could knock on Klopp’s door for a regular starting berth.
The £40k-per-week ace was simply sensational for England U21s as they trounced Serbia 9-1, performing at the very heart of the game and excelling with his all-consuming performance.
Scoring two goals and registering an assist, the 5 foot 6 talent complemented his direct return with an 86% passing accuracy, five key passes, success in five of his eight duels, also taking 94 touches and winning both of his dribbles, as per Sofascore.
Such a display led Paul Dalglish to dub him an “incredible talent”, and while Elliott is undoubtedly not the finished article, his potential is boundless and he is edging closer and closer toward the level Klopp knows he can reach.
If the German coach is looking for a dream understudy to Szoboszlai, then the youngster is arguably that man.
