For half that price, Liverpool might be able to sign a midfielder who is not only more versatile, but has several more advantages over Bellingham this summer in Dominik Szoboszlai.

While both Szoboszlai and Bellingham are talented young midfielders, some of the statistics would suggest the Hungarian international could be a better fit for Liverpool than Bellingham.

One of the main reasons is Szoboszlai's ability to create chances for his teammates. This an area where Liverpool has been lacking in midfield for several seasons, and has often been their downfall when it comes breaking down deep lying defenses.

According to FBref, Szoboszlai has averaged 2.34 key passes per 90 this season compared to Bellingham's 1.10, both in the Bundesliga. Key passes are of course not the only metric to measure creativity, but in other metrics, Szoboszlai also conquers the England international.
For example,Szoboszlai averages 4.91 shot-creating-actions per 90, while Bellingham only averages 3.89. Meanwhile, when it comes to expected assists, Szoboszlai again has a much better return with 0.30 per 90 opposed to Bellingham's 0.13. This indicates that Szoboszlai is a more creative player who is adept at finding his teammates in dangerous positions, akin to Kevin de Bruyne , and would be able to better fill the creative void in Liverpool's midfield when compared to Bellingham.

Another area where Szoboszlai excels is his set-piece delivery. Back in 2020, Szoboszlai scored seven goals from direct free-kicks, making him one of the deadliest set-piece takers in Europe, and he has continued that trend after moving to RB Leipzig. Three of his last five goals have come from outside the box, and he has also directly contributed to goals from three set pieces this season.

In comparison, Bellingham did not score any goals from set-pieces. Given Liverpool's emphasis on set-pieces under Jürgen Klopp, having a player like Szoboszlai who can provide a consistent threat from dead-ball situations could be invaluable.

Szoboszlai also has a better goal-scoring record than Bellingham. While this season, Bellingham has averaged a slightly better return with 0.27 goals per 90, compared to Szoboszlai's 0.17, over the course of the two players' careers, Szoboszlai's record is far superior. Szoboszlai has scored 44 goals in his senior club career in 162 appearances compared to Bellingham who has 24 goals in 168 club appearances.

Meanwhile, at international level, Szoboszlai has six goals in 28 caps, while Bellingham has one goal in 22 caps. While goals may not be the primary focus for a midfielder, having a player who can contribute goals from midfield is always a bonus, especially in a team like Liverpool, where Klopp is lacking a player of that ilk who can contribute with goals and assists. This is why the fact that Szoboszlai (0.55) averages more goals and assists per 90 this season than Bellingham (0.43) again swings things in the Hungarian's favor

The last crucial component of why Szoboszlai may be considered a better fit for Liverpool is his versatility. He is capable of playing as a central midfielder, has even played as a holding midfielder in the past at academy level, but can also be used as a wide or attacking midfielder, giving Klopp more tactical flexibility. In contrast, Bellingham has always primarily played as a central midfielder and may not provide the same level of versatility, with the England international very much rooted in his box-to-box quality.

Given all that comparison between the two of them, the fact that Szoboszlai has a $64m-$75m (£52m/£61m/€60-70m) release clause as per SportBild — almost half of what Bellingham would likely cost — means he can build a genuinely strong case as the better option for Liverpool.