Napoli will rival Liverpool for the signature of Udinese midfielder Piotr Zielinski, according to reports in Italy.
22-year-old Zielenski has spent the last two seasons on loan at Empoli, forging a reputation as one of Serie A’s finest young talents and attracting interest from a number of top sides.
Reds manager Jurgen Klopp is a known admirer of the energetic player, who looks set to leave parent club Udinese during the close season, and had been thought to be closing in on a deal.
But negotiations to bring the Pole to Anfield have reportedly stalled, with the Reds as yet unwilling to meet the Italian team’s £10 million valuation.
And Gazzetta dello Sport writes that the Serie A side are ready to throw a further spanner in the works by stepping up their interest in the sought after Polish international.
Napoli finished second in Serie A this season, confirming their place in the 2016/17 Champions League, and are in the market for a new central midfielder to front their campaign after missing out on long-term target Davy Klaassen of Ajax.
As such, the paper suggests that Zielinski is now at the forefront of their thinking, with Partenopei sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli considering a bid for the impressive talent.
Should Napoli win the race to sign the highly-rated international, Liverpool are expected to turn their attention to Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud.