Hotshot Hungarian Szalai on Liverpool and Inter’s radar
Published:Tipped for mid-table obscurity at the start of the season, Mainz’s outstanding start to their league season hasn’t gone unnoticed.
With eight wins from a possible nine, including wins away at Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen, the O-Fives are now one of the favourites for the Bundesliga title at 6/1 and just like Wolfsburg before them, all their prize assets are now being eyed by Europe’s elite.
Most noticeably getting tongues wagging is 22-year-old Hungarian striker Adam Szalai.
He has three goals from six starts and is seen as a rising star by both Rafa Benitez and Roy Hodgson.
Both teams could do with cover up front, Liverpool especially as they only have David N’Gog to back up Fernando Torres.
Benitez also seems unsure about both Diego Milito and Goran Pandev and is keen to add another striker to his ranks.
Szalai’s agent Oliver Fischer has, though, been keen to stress the striker’s commitment to Mainz, but that he hadn’t closed his mind to other offers.
“If there was an offer then it’s likely that we would consider it. But at the moment the most important thing is that Szalai is happy to play at his present team.”
Fischer did, however, admit that a move to Inter would be hard to turn down, but that Szalai would most likely finish the season at Mainz.
“No-one contests that Internazionale are a big club but the player is still very young, this is his first full season at Mainz and he has to progress,” Fischer said.
Mainz face their biggest test of the season so far when they play second-placed Dortmund on Sunday.
Mainz are 7/4 to win, with Dortmund only just behind at 6/5.
An absolutely crunch game, the draw, which can be backed at 9/4, may well be the safest option.
Borussia Dortmund are 13/8 to win the Bundesliga, follow the full Bundesliga market here.
