Zielinski details how Klopp tried to sign him and why Liverpool move failed

Piotr Zielinski has shared that Jurgen Klopp was a huge fan of his, with the midfielder very close to joining Liverpool before the proposed transfer eventually collapsed due to the fee which would’ve been involved.

The 30-year-old joined Inter Milan in July as a free agent after eight seasons at Napoli, and he’s discussed how a move to the Reds almost materialised back in 2016.

Speaking to FootTruck (via fcinternews.it), the Serie A star said: “Jurgen Klopp invited me to his house. Liverpool sent a private jet to pick me up. I was shocked because it was the first time I travelled on that means of transport. When we landed, we took the bus to go to Klopp’s. It was a building, he had everything there.

“The conversation was great. Klopp told me that I am a mix between Fabregas and Gundogan in his opinion. I didn’t understand anything, but my agent spoke German and told me everything.”

Zielinski details why the move eventually didn’t go through: “They offered €18.5m, but Udinese wanted something more. Liverpool couldn’t exceed a certain limit for me, as I wasn’t a top player yet. The other side of the coin is that I also didn’t feel like that.”

The midfielder has made four appearances for Inter this season, having played for Napoli 364 times before he relocated to northern Italy in the summer.

Zielinski would have been a great signing for Klopp’s Liverpool but the Reds excelled regardless

Although the player didn’t mention the year in which this happened, the report from fcinternews.it stated that it was in 2016, when he was at Udinese and had not yet made a name for himself in the wider footballing sphere.

The Poland international made 35 Serie A appearances on loan at Empoli in the season prior, scoring five goals and providing four assists for a team which finished 11th.

After the Liverpool move fell through, he joined Napoli in the same transfer window for a reported price of €16m (£13.35m). According to Zielinski, the price that the Reds offered was higher, so we’re not sure why Udinese decided to reject that bid if indeed the figures are accurate!

The versatile Pole emphatically made a name for himself during the next few seasons and became one of Serie A’s best midfielders, being linked with a move to Anfield again in 2019.

Despite not being able to get his man eight years ago, Klopp went on to sign Sadio Mane and Georgino Wijnaldum that summer. The latter developed into one of the most underrated and consistent players for the German, playing a big role in our Champions League and Premier League victories in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

Looking back at Zielinski’s rise, the former Liverpool boss had the right idea in trying to sign him early as he was already showing signs of real talent. The 30-year-old would certainly have been a valuable asset for the Reds, but we won’t lose sleep over this missed chance as we did just fine without him in the years which followed!