According to a recent report by the Express, Liverpool are set to miss out on Piotr Zielinski with the midfielder edging closer towards penning a new contract with Napoli following his fantastic start to this campaign. It is understood that the Polish international’s buy out clause is currently set in the region of £60m. However, the Serie A club are in talks about a new deal which would double the player’s buy-out clause.
This recent development will come as a massive blow for the Reds as they were long-term admirers of Zielinski’s talents since the days of his loan spell with Empoli.
Who is Piotr Zielinski?
The 24-year-old was born in Ząbkowice Śląskie, Poland and grew up while playing football in his homeland for a club named Lupin. He graduated from the Polish outfit’s academy and worked his way up the club’s youth ranks before making his big move to Italian football to ply his trade for Udinese. Zielinski played for the Serie A club’s Under-19 side but didn’t do enough on the pitch to break into their first-team. Hence, he was shipped out on a loan deal to Empoli where he scored five times and created nine assists in 66 matches.
His outstanding spell at the Stadio Carlo Castellani caught the eyes of the Napoli chiefs who orchestrated a move for him in the summer of 2016. Since joining the Serie A heavyweights, the Polish prospect has gone on to score 15 goals while providing ten assists in 107 matches which has made him a household name in Italian football. He has also earned 39 international caps for the Polish national team and has six goals to his name while representing his country.
What Does Zielinski Offer On The Pitch?
The Polish international is quite pacey and is incredibly fast in 1v1 situations. Zielinski can also boast fantastic ball control which helps him dribble with the ball out of tight spaces and create chances for his teammates in the attacking half. He has a knack of scoring and creating goals when his team needs him to step up the most.
Verdict
There is no doubt that it would be a big blow for Liverpool to miss out on his services as he would have added a lot of creativity and dynamism to Jurgen Klopp’s midfield.
However, with the likes of Naby Keita, James Milner, Georginio Wijnaldum, Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana already at the German manager’s disposal, the Merseyside club should still have enough in their locker to compete for some major trophies this season.
