Liverpool will hold talks over the possible signing of midfielder Piotr Zielinski from Udinese next week, according to the Daily Mail. But they shouldn’t even bother.
The Daily Mail reports that Anfield scouts watched the 21-year-old, who is in the middle of his second season of a two-year loan at Empoli, in last weekend’s 1-0 defeat to Genoa.
Zielinski is a quick and skilful player who is capable of playing centrally or on the wing, but Jurgen Klopp should be aiming higher in the transfer market come the summer.
The 11-cap Poland international has scored only three goals and contributed eight assists in 58 games for Empoli, and has not managed a single goal in 20 appearances for Udinese.
Zielinski is young and could certainly develop under Klopp’s management, but it is very difficult to add goals to your game, and Liverpool are desperately short of them in midfield.
James Milner has five Premier League goals this season – but Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana, Jordon Ibe, Joe Allen, Emre Can and Lucas Leiva have only seven between them.
Liverpool do not need another technically-gifted midfielder without an end product. Klopp should be focussed on signing players who can make a difference in either penalty box.
There is room for Klopp to recruit talented kids, but if Zielinski is not good enough to be retained by a struggling Serie A outfit in Udinese, surely he is not good enough for Liverpool?
The Reds have already signed 19-year-old midfielder Marko Grujic and Schalke 04 defender Joel Matip in bargain deals. Next, Klopp needs to make a statement about his pulling power.
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