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Dominik Szoboszlai was decisive at San Siro against Inter on Tuesday night, and twice he could have become an AC Milan player.
La Gazzetta dello Sport recall how Szoboszlai’s name was first identified by a Juventus scout when he was 19 and would have cost €10m. That was the first spark, then came Milan, who wanted him and almost ended up signing him.
The love was reciprocated, because at Szoboszlai’s home they supported the Rossoneri, and Paolo Maldini was the boy’s and his father’s idol. Unfortunately, however, the marriage evidently wasn’t going to happen.
Szoboszlai to Milan: The background
Everything revolves around Zvonimir Boban. The Croatian had landed at Milan in the summer of 2019 with a key roles under Elliott’s management, and he immediately identified the Hungarian when he was at Red Bull Salzburg.
Szoboszlai had a release clause of just over €20m, Milan closed the deal with his agents and it all seemed done. However, at the final stage the deal fell through, due to some skepticism about the boy’s character, considered by some to be a bit immature and undeveloped.
Six months later, however, the romance is revived. CEO Giorgio Furlani meets with agents and intermediaries and signs a preliminary agreement for a five-year contract. A toast is raised, everything is settled.
Then, once again, everything falls through: Dominik would have been the first signing of the Ralf Rangnick era, but he never ended up arriving as renewed faith was put in Stefano Pioli.
Szoboszlai is now one of Liverpool’s stars having paid €70m to sign him from RB Leipzig. Yesterday he stung Inter with a perfect penalty in the dying seconds. He did it at San Siro, the stadium that on many occasions could have been his home.
The Hungarian also scored against Milan last September, later leaving the pitch wearing the Rossoneri shirt and stating: “I wear it because I’m a Milan fan. All my friends know it. I have a photo with my grandmother and Maldini in Budapest.”
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