The 24-year-old Poland star, reportedly wanted by the Reds in 2016, is said to have hit a stumbling block while discussing a new Napoli deal.
Poland international Piotr Zielinski has reportedly hit a stumbling block with regards to his contract talks with Napoli.
The 24-year-old playmaker is highly rated among his peers and superiors, with former boss Maurizio Sarri – now of Chelsea – dubbing him “the next Kevin de Bruyne”. (The Guardian)
Zielinski also already has 41 caps and six goals for Poland despite his young age and started all three games for his nation at the 2018 World Cup.
Liverpool were previously said to be in the market for the Partenopei midfielder in 2016 when he was still at Udinese.
As reported by The Mirror, Jurgen Klopp wanted to bring Zielinski to Anfield, but Liverpool only went as far as £11.5million, Napoli beating them with a £13million offer.
However, Calciomercato have published a report suggesting that the player may have hit a snag at the Stadio San Paolo, potentially paving the way for a new Reds bid.
The report claims that Napoli want a clause valid only for foreign clubs of at least 90 million Euros (£80.5 million), but Zielinski does not want a clause that exceeds 50 million Euros (£44.7 million).
Although negotiations are seemingly still going on, Calciomercato claims that Liverpool and Premier League rivals Arsenal could just consider taking advantage of the snag.
Zielinski is contracted to Napoli until 2021 and is valued by Transfermarkt at £36million, as per the latest update dating back to 12 October 2018.
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