With his position under scrutiny, Szoboszlai responded with that belting effort to seal the win over Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup, the Hungarian showcasing a little reminder of his outrageous ball-striking quality.

That moment of magic still hasn't quelled the concern over how and where he fits into the midfield in general, however, with Iraola yet to settle on a consistent, first-choice midfield pairing.

The use of Szoboszlai is particularly intriguing, with there still some uncertainty as to where he would be best utilised.

What is Szoboszlai's best position?

The woes of Jeremie Frimpong, alongside the long-term absence of Conor Bradley, had seen the former RB Leipzig star shift to right-back regularly under Slot last term, with the arrival of Florian Wirtz somewhat disrupting the midfield rhythm.

Szoboszlai noted earlier this month that Iraola had made it clear he's "not going to play right-back" under his watch, albeit while still finding himself in that role in the latter stages against Nottingham Forest.

Thankfully, for his sake, Ronald Araujo has since proven a calming presence in that full-back role, with Liverpool's number eight instead lining up as part of the midfield two.

In a 4-2-3-1 system, it's hard to say that such a starting berth suits him, the 25-year-old's high-octane, all-action style often leaving his side open to the counter in the centre of the park.

As he showed against Spurs, he's a lethal ball-striker from range, yet even when deployed in a more advanced role, the one currently taken up by Wirtz, he's not exactly the most prolific or creative, ending the title-winning 2024/25 season with a solid, yet unspectacular return of six goals and six assists in the top-flight.

By his own admission, his best role is as a number eight, as he can "get the ball from the defender, give the long passes, but also arrive in the box", but whether there is room for that type of player in this system is up for debate.

It's a little bit muddled and unclear, hence why the signing of a new midfielder remains essential heading into 2027.

How Liverpool could sign a more complete midfielder than Szoboszlai

Looking back to Julian Ward's first stint as sporting director back in 2022/23, he famously was the man who pulled the plug on the Jude Bellingham deal, instead keen to oversee a more drastic midfield overhaul instead that summer.

Out went the old and in came the new, with Szoboszlai one of four marquee signings made in that department in 2023, the Reds spreading their resources rather than going all-in on Bellingham.

Intriguingly, a new senior midfielder hasn't been signed since then, and while young Trey Nyoni looks like a star in the making, there does appear to be room for reinforcements, particularly amid Alexis Mac Allister's ongoing contract saga.

Reports this week have indicated that Iraola's former Bournemouth star, Alex Scott, could be one option, while Anfield Watch have since reported that Ward is a keen admirer of Monaco's Lamine Camara.

As per the report, the Reds have held an interest in the 22-year-old anyway, yet Ward being a 'massive fan' is noteworthy, even if it doesn't prove central to their pursuit.

Competition for the Senegalese star has only increased following a fine start to this season, although the pieces note that Liverpool remained undeterred and may just 'pay the asking price'.

That suggests a potential bid could be in the works, even as early as January, with there a feeling that Camara could fetch around £60m in 2027.

Hailed as "one of the best midfielders in the world" right now by Monaco boss, Filipe Luis, Camara is certainly a player worth pursuing, someone who would add so much to Iraola's midfield unit.

There's a completeness to his game that not even Szoboszlai can match, the former Metz man having sparkled in so many areas already in 2026/27.

In Ligue 1, for instance, he's registered one assist in six appearances this season, having also recorded a stellar pass accuracy rate of 92%, losing the ball just 8.8 times per game.

For comparison, Szoboszlai - currently operating in a deeper role - has scored once yet registered no assists, while averaging 87% and 16.2 for those latter two metrics, respectively.

The Liverpool hero is well ahead in a creative sense, bettering Camara in terms of key passes per game (2.2 vs 0.6), although it is the younger man who comes out on top in terms of his progressive quality, boasting a far superior record for successful dribbles per game, with 1.2 to Szoboszlai's 0.4 average.

Out of possession is where Camara really comes to the fore, however, having won 9.2 total duels per game on average, alongside 6.8 tackles and interceptions per game and 9.2 ball recoveries. Szoboszlai, meanwhile, has averaged just 2.8, 2.0 and 4.4 across those three metrics so far.

Yes, Ligue 1 is a different kettle of fish to the Premier League, but Camara's quality is shining through regardless. He looks like a potential bargain if that £60m price tag proves to be accurate.