Napoli are reportedly on the verge of signing Udinese midfielder Piotr Zielinski, as they have agreed to a deal worth €15m plus Camilo Zuniga.
The 22-year-old spent last season on loan at Empoli, and he largely impressed with five goals and six assists in 36 appearances in all competitions as well as a string of solid displays.
Having established himself as a top talent, Zielinski naturally attracted plenty of attention from around Europe, including from Liverpool who are still said to be keen on trying to reach a deal, as noted by The Mirror.
However, it doesn’t appear as though it will be a successful pursuit for the Premier League outfit, who have already missed out on several of their preferred targets this summer with Klopp busily trying to strengthen his squad ahead of next season.
The likes of Marca Bartra, Emre Mor and Ousmane Dembele had all been linked with a switch to Merseyside this summer, but all chose a move to Dortmund instead.
According to Sport Mediaset, Napoli have agreed terms on a deal that will see them hand €15m plus Camila Zuniga over to Udinese for Zielinski, with the Colombian moving on to join Watford as part of the Pozzo family’s overall transfer strategy as they own both the Zebrette and the Hornets.
It is claimed that the agreement was reached between Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis and Udinese during a meeting on Wednesday, with Zielinski seemingly set for a reunion with his former boss Maurizio Sarri.
The Polish international is arguably a perfect fit for the Italian’s system and style of play, and will undoubtedly relish a chance to test himself at a higher level with the Partenopei competing for the Serie A title next year as well as in the Champions League.
Klopp will be disappointed to miss out on another target, but it’s unlikely to deter him from continuing his summer push to bring in reinforcements, with the likes of Joel Matip, Marko Grujic and Loris Karius already signing for the club.