🔥🏟️Liverpool flew me over in private jet after Jurgen Klopp praise – but the transfer collapsed’

Piotr Zielsinski has revealed how close he came to joining Liverpool earlier in his career.

The 30-year-old was at Udinese at the time, and Liverpool flew the midfielder to Merseyside in a private jet for talks with Jurgen Klopp. The year was 2016, and Klopp had replaced Brendan Rodgers as Reds boss during the previous season, meaning it was his first summer transfer window after taking over at Anfield.

Zielinski was 22 at the time and had emerged as one of the most promising young midfielders in Europe after impressing during back-to-back seasons at Empoli, where he was on loan from Udinese.

Liverpool was willing to pay €18.5million ($20.2m) for Zielinski, but Udinese wanted more money, and thus the deal did not materialise, with Zielinski ending up at Napoli instead.

“Jurgen Klopp invited me to his house. Liverpool sent a private jet to pick me up,” Zielinski told Foot Truck. “Klopp told me that for him I am a mix between (Cesc) Fabregas and (Ilkay) Gundogan. I didn’t understand anything, but then my agent, who spoke German, told me everything.

“When we were leaving I managed to take a photo with Klopp who was at the door and said goodbye. They were offering €18.5m, but Udinese wanted something more. However, Liverpool couldn’t cross a certain limit with me because I wasn’t a top player yet. The other side of the coin is that I didn’t feel like one either.”

Interestingly, Zielinski ended up joining Napoli in 2016 for €16million ($17.5m) – a lower amount than what Liverpool was willing to pay to sign the Poland international.

That same summer, Liverpool ended up signing Georginio Wijnaldum, who was a key player for Klopp during his five seasons as a Red, making 237 appearances and winning the Premier League and the Champions League.

Wijnaldum, three years older than Zielinski, is now plying his trade in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ettifaq, while Zielinski is still playing at the top level in Europe with Inter Milan.

Zielinski spent eight years at Napoli, playing a key role in the Scudetto-winning team of 2022-23, but decided on a new challenge at the end of last season, joining Inter on a free transfer after his Napoli contract expired.