Liverpool and Man City are reportedly set to be forced to concede defeat in their pursuit of Napoli midfielder Piotr Zielinski as he prepares to sign a new contract.
The 24-year-old has established himself as a key figure at Napoli, making 47 appearances in all competitions in each of the last two campaigns, albeit not always as a starter for Maurizio Sarri.
However, that appears to have changed under Carlo Ancelotti as he looks set to play a more prominent role, and with that will reportedly come a new contract.
According to Il Mattino, as reported by TuttoNapoli, the Polish international is on the verge of signing a new contract with the Serie A giants, one that will include a release clause between €100m and €120m. Further, it’s suggested that he will snub interest from Liverpool and City to commit his future to Napoli by October.
It’s a major decision if interest from the Premier League was genuine, as a move to either Anfield or the Etihad would undoubtedly have given Zielinski a huge opportunity to win major honours in the coming years.
Given Juventus continue to dominate domestically in Italy, time will tell if Ancelotti can lead Napoli to the summit of Italian football in the coming years, and Zielinski will certainly be a pivotal part of that push.
Perhaps the threat of not having such a prominent role at either Liverpool or City put him off a move to England, as he looks firmly on course to continue to emerge as a fundamental part of Ancelotti’s side this season and that will seemingly also be rewarded with a new contract with a mammoth release clause to deter interested parties from making a move.