Dominik Szoboszlai in Liverpool Contract Talks: What You Need to Know

“There has been talks but, for sure, not any decision has been made. There is always progress but no decision has been made and I’ll just keep on going every week, every training, giving my best for the team, for the fans. Let’s see what is going to happen in the future. “Of course I am happy here but you know how football works and that is something everybody has to take into account.” The development comes with Liverpool looking to tie down the future of Szoboszlai’s fellow midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, while there has been contact with the representatives of Alexis Mac Allister about the structure of a future agreement, although talks have not been in depth thus far. Contract discussions with a number of Liverpool players have proved complicated in recent times. Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah renewed after prolonged negotiations, while Trent Alexander-Arnold opted to leave and join Real Madrid. Ibrahima Konaté has been in talks on his future for about 15 months, but an agreement has not been reached as yet, and the centre back can leave on a free transfer in the summer. Szoboszlai spoke after Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Burnley at Anfield, during which he missed a penalty to compound what had been a difficult week. He was also guilty of an error in the FA Cup win over Barnsley when fluffing an attempted back-heel in his own penalty area and gifting the visiting side a goal. The League One side’s manager, Conor Hourihane, described Szoboszlai as “disrespectful” and said he would not have dared to try the trick had he been facing a more esteemed rival. However, Szoboszlai insisted that perception of him was misplaced. “For me, personally, it’s a tough one,” he said. “I made a mistake against Barnsley but I have to make it clear it wasn’t disrespectful in my opinion and I would do the same against Arsenal, [Manchester] City and against Chelsea as well. “I didn’t want to give it back to Giorgi [Mamardashvili, the goalkeeper], I wanted to keep going but I tried to pretend that I was playing it back just to make it clear. “[Now] I missed a penalty but I’m going to keep on going, I’m going to take the next one and I’m going to score I’m pretty sure. “You have to forget it, that’s the best [way of dealing with things], but of course you have to have learned from it. “To be honest, if you see me after every session I cannot practise more — and I’m not allowed to practise more because I’m practising as much as I can. I will keep on practising and if I have another chance, I will take it.” Liverpool travel to Marseille on Tuesday for Wednesday’s Champions League tie, which will heavily influence their hopes of finishing in the top eight and avoiding two extra ties in the knockout phase play-offs next month. Arne Slot’s side are ninth and host Qarabag in their final game in the group phase next week. “It is very important,” Szoboszlai said. “We have to look at the game as a big chance to take a big step towards the top eight. If you look at the whole season, we have so many games, so if you are in the top eight you miss two and that is very important. “We have to be ready because we face a really good team. Marseille don’t have a low block, they try to play from the back and we have to be ready for this as well.” Liverpool have been in discussions as to whether Salah will return to the squad after his Africa Cup of Nations commitments with Egypt. He missed the Champions League win over Inter Milan in December as punishment for a public outburst against Slot — and the club — in which he said his demotion to the bench had made him the scapegoat for team-wide failings. Salah reported to AXA, Liverpool’s training headquarters, on Tuesday morning. He will be assessed, with Slot’s squad due to train at lunchtime, and a decision on whether he travels to Marseille will then be taken. Szoboszlai is among the closest to Salah in the Liverpool squad and has been in regular contact with him while he has been away. “Yes, to be honest almost every day,” he said. “We speak about everything. We talk a lot. “That’s between me and him [what he wants to do]. He will come back and then we just keep on going. He will be here and it’s the decision [between] the manager and the club. It is not about us, it is about him.”