Newcastle United have had a season that will have exceeded even their wildest expectations, with Eddie Howe's men confirming a slot in the Champions League last year following a 0-0 draw against Leicester City on Monday night.
The Magpies have earned their good fortune this campaign and have recruited in excellent fashion along the way, bringing in the likes of Alexander Isak and Sven Botman, who have gone on to make a major impact at St James' Park.
Coming into the summer, finding the balance between adding quality and quantity to the squad will be another big challenge for boss Howe, who has been linked with moves for several high-profile players amid their return to Europe's elite competition for the first time in 20 years.
As per Sky Germany via Sport Witness, RB Leipzig midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai is a target for the Toon this summer and they have recently scouted him several times.
What's the latest news involving Dominik Szoboszlai?
The report claims that Szoboszlai, alongside his teammate Amadou Haidara have been watched by Newcastle United several times, with the former said to have an exit clause of around €70 million (£60.6 million) inserted into his current €80,769 (£69,931) terms at the Red Bull Arena.
Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Dean Jones has indicated that Szoboszlai is a well-suited player in terms of his standing and would be a great signing if they could entice him to the North East this summer.
Jones told FFC: "I think Szoboszlai has got an unbelievable mindset as well as a brilliant skill set that he could bring to Newcastle. He's kind of the perfect level that Newcastle should be aspiring to as they look to take the next steps of their build. I mean, you can talk about what it would be like to bring in a Neymar or any player on that level. But there's also something to be said about not moving too quickly and that's one thing that Newcastle have done brilliantly."
Capable of operating on either flank or in attacking midfield, Szoboszlai had made 44 appearances in all competitions for RB Leipzig this term, notching nine goals and 13 assists, as per Transfermarkt.
The 22-year-old is also takes the responsibility of being a leader on the pitch in the mould of Manchester United playmaker Bruno Fernandes and is captain of the Hungary national side despite his young age.
His Hungary coach Marco Rossi praised his qualities back in 2020 during an interview, stating: “Szoboszlai is a midfielder who makes assists and scores goals. He can play centre midfielder or behind the main striker. At Juventus, he would be ideal as a back-up to Aaron Ramsey. We are talking about one of the top ten talents in Europe.”
Much like Fernandes at Manchester United, Szoboszlai excels in his capacity as a chance provider, as per FBRef, and has managed to rack up 173 successfully carried out shot-creating actions in 2022/23.
WhoScored also notes that the Hungarian talent has outperformed the likes of Christopher Nkunku and Dani Olmo this season and has been RB Leipzig's most consistent performer overall, managing to obtain an average match rating of 7.34/10.
As cited by The Analyst, his former manager Jesse Marsch spoke about his unique skill set back in 2021, stating: “I’ve developed a very good relationship with a lot of highly talented youngsters, but I feel I had the strongest bond with Dominik. We’ve talked a lot, watched videos together, and discussed in private what the next step could be to improve. As talent goes, there aren’t many better players that can play his position – some are strong, some are technical, some are good tactically, and some can defend well or run a lot. However, Dominik is special because he has all of these skills combined.”
His career is only getting started and it looks as if a move to the Premier League could be an inevitability at some point and Newcastle United could land their own Fernandes-architype signing in the form of Szoboszlai if they can get a deal over the line.