7 stars Liverpool failed to sign under Jurgen Klopp

#3 Piotr Zieliński

Zielinski is now one of Europe's coveted midfielders

Piotr Zielinski is another midfielder Liverpool were linked with during the summer transfer window of 2016 and it looked like the Pole was close to joining the Reds than Mario Gotze or Mahmoud Dahoud.

According to the player himself, Klopp met with him in January 2016 for a potential summer move while he was on loan at Empoli.

“My head was a mess. Liverpool finally got a plane and I met with Jurgen Klopp. He said he wanted me in his team. I saw a different world and after returning my head was an even bigger mess.”

However, negotiations with Udinese owner Giampaolo Pozzo proved extremely difficult as the player was pictured wearing a Liverpool kit on Polish television and Liverpool’s interest in the player was all over the news. Pozzo drove up the price for the player and Liverpool’s initial offer of £10m was immediately rejected.

Soon, Napoli entered the race for the player and they used Juan Camilo Zúñiga as a makeweight in the transfer. Zuniga would move on loan to Watford, owned by the son of Giampaolo Pozzo.

Liverpool felt that Napoli’s asking fee was better invested in a player with Premier League experience and thus, Georginio Wijnaldum joined from Newcastle United for £25m.