Piotr Zielinski wants a four-year deal worth £90,000-a-week if he is to leave Serie A giants Napoli for a fresh start in the Premier League with West Ham United, as reported by Il Mattino.
Given the reaction under-fire owner Aurelio de Laurentiis has faced from the fearsomely impassioned Napoli supporters this summer, well, let’s just say sell Zielinski at your own risk.
Il Partenopei have lost Dries Mertens, Lorenzo Insigne, David Ospina and Kalidou Koulibaly since the end of last season; The spine of Italy’s third-best team. Fabian Ruiz could be on his way to Real Madrid sooner rather than later, too, while Victor Osimhen also has his fair share of admirers across the continent.
And though Zielinski would have to turn his back on Champions League football, the 28-year-old Poland international is fully aware that the chance to make his mark in England at long last might not come round again in a hurry (Sky Sports).
Links with the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool are a thing of the past, meaning a player who would have been well out of West Ham’s reach in previous windows now feels within touching distance.
West Ham in talks with Napoli star Piotr Zielinski
According to Il Matino, West Ham have made a bid in the region of £33 million; One Napoli may be forced to accept for a player who turns 29 in May. But it remains to be seen whether the Hammers are willing to splash out such a lofty fee while also meeting Zielinski’s demands of a worth £90,000-a-week (or around £19 million over the next four years).
That, after all, would take the cost of the overall package over the £50 million mark.
Il Mattino add that talks have been held over the phone as Zielinski’s representatives look to ‘push’ through a switch to the London Stadium. It certainly doesn’t feel like a coincidence that Alessandro Lucci – Zielinski’s agent – also played a key role in the recent Gianluca Scamacca deal (AreaNapoli).
A wonderfully-gifted and often-underrated attacking midfielder, Zielinski’s numbers speak for themselves; 29 goals or assists in the last two Italian league seasons.
‘Even better than Kevin de Bruyne’?
“Zielinski is an extraordinary player. He often makes moves that fascinate you, that leave you speechless. It makes you think he really is among the best in the world,” Serie A legend Beppe Bergomi says.
Former Poland international Zbigniew Boniek, meanwhile, suggested that Zielinski could be ‘even better than Kevin de Bruyne’ if he added a more ruthless streak to his game.
“Zielinski is a player with pure technique. He can shake off a marker with a single touch,” Boniek raved of the former Empoli man.
“If he scored more goals, Zielinski could become even better than De Bruyne. Piotr is capable of scoring in any way and also provides many assists.”
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