It seemed only a matter of time before Piotr Zielinski ended up at Anfield, having been pictured on Polish television wearing a Liverpool shirt in May 2016.
The Reds had extensively scouted the midfielder months before this occurred and received glowing reviews of the player’s talent. A move during the January transfer window of 2016 was considered, although a decision was made to wait until the summer.
Tabling a bid worth £9.5m after being left impressed by his progress during a two-year loan with Empoli, Liverpool were not alone in wanting to recruit the now 28-year-old as Serie A sides began to circle. Negotiating with Zielinski’s parent club at that time, Udinese, proved to be a significant challenge after being informed his initial €10m valuation would be raised higher due to growing interest.
