Liverpool could once again turn to Napoli’s Piotr Zielinski as they look to address their midfield problem.
That’s according to the website of Italian journalist Rudy Galetti – rudygaletti.com. They claim that Jurgen Klopp’s shortlist of targets to bolster the Liverpool midfield remains ‘full of names.’
Of these names, Jude Bellingham is claimed to have ‘always’ been the ‘main target.’ Alongside Bellingham, Moises Caicedo of Brighton and Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat are also reportedly being ‘closely monitored.’
And then comes Zielinski. The Poland international is said to be on a slightly longer list containing the likes of Youri Tielemans and Mikel Merino. What year is this?
Too late for Zielinksi to Liverpool
Well, this is a surprise. We didn’t think Liverpool would still be trying to sign Piotr Zielinski in big 2023.
For those unfamiliar, the Reds were pretty heavily linked with a move for the then Udinese player way back in 2016. Zielinski was even pictured wearing a Liverpool shirt during pre-season.
The move never materialised in the end, with the Pole joining Napoli instead. Beaten to their primary target, Liverpool signed Gini Wijnaldum.
Since then, Zielinski has been a key player in Naples. Having only missed 12 league games in six-and-a-half seasons, he’s one of the first names on the team sheet. The 29-year-old has been tentatively been linked with the Reds in the intervening years, but as he’s moved into his late twenties, those links have become quieter.
Now, as they scramble for potential fixes in the midfield, maybe they’ve returned to try for a player they know well.
In our opinion, Zielinksi isn’t really the type of player Liverpool need right now. He’s extremely talented – Polish legend Zbigniew Boniek once called him ‘extraordinary’ and even tipped him to be ‘better than Kevin De Bruyne.’
But he’s more of a silky, creative player. Right now Liverpool need a bit of steel in their midfield. They’ve become too easy to play against and need younger players with more legs.
With a year left on his contract in Naples, he could be on the market for a decent price. Nevertheless, this feels like a transfer three or four years too late.
Receive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox
