Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will be satisfied with his squad's progress this season; so far, the Reds have restored the midfield's zest, returned to the front of the Premier League pack, and successfully navigated into the latter stage of the Carabao Cup.
11 matches into the campaign, third-placed Liverpool boast 24 points and are just one win away from levelling with table-topping defending champions Manchester City, having only lost to Tottenham Hotspur in the most contentious of circumstances – but we need not go into that, ay.
The Merseyside club's previous encounter, however, was rife with residual problems from last year, with newly-promoted Luton Town holding Liverpool to a draw at Kenilworth Road, in fact headed for victory but for Luis Diaz's emotional equaliser before the death.
The match highlighted some weaknesses that remain despite an industrial midfield rebuild this summer, with a specialist No. 6 still needed.
Liverpool have recently been credited with an interest in a formidable midfielder recently, and while he is not the anchor that the Anfield side need, he could be a worthy addition to improve the centre of the park.
Liverpool transfer news – Piotr Zielinski
According to Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport, via TEAMtalk, Napoli midfielder Piotr Zielinski is on Klopp's radar once again, with the German a long-time admirer of the Serie A champion, who is out of contract next summer.
While it does not seem likely that fresh terms will be agreed in Naples, Liverpool will face fierce competition in the form of Italian giants Juventus, who will pounce on the opportunity to land the Poland international on a free.
Whether the Reds decide to ramp up their interest and push for a pre-contract agreement in January or decide to be prudent and lodge an offer in the winter market remains to be seen.
CIES Football Observatory's valuation model provides Zielinski with a £26m price tag, but it's likely that a lesser figure could be agreed given the circumstances.
Piotr Zielinski's style of play
Zielinski has been a central figure at Napoli – both positionally and in regard to importance – since arriving from Udinese for a reported €16m (£14m) fee in 2016, ending months of transfer speculation that placed Liverpool in firm contention.
The 29-year-old has now completed 343 appearances for I Partenopei since joining, scoring 50 goals and providing 46 assists for his teammates, dubbed a “baller” by journalist Patrick Boyland for his feats.
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Player
Club
1
Ilkay Gundogan
Barcelona
2
Martin Odegaard
Arsenal
3
Granit Xhaka
Bayer Leverkusen
4
Thomas Muller
Bayern Munich
5
Florian Wirtz
Bayer Leverkusen
*Sourced via Football Transfers
The table above portrays a varied blend of players and highlights Zielinski's faculty for the creative, so often supplying his peers with the goods to wreak havoc in the final third.
Last year, as Napoli soared unstoppably toward the Scudetto, the 5 foot 10 star played a pivotal role and posted three goals and eight assists from 27 starting appearances in Serie A, completing 88% of his passes and averaging 2.3 key passes per game.
As per FBref, the 86-cap Poland captain ranks among the top 2% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 15% for progressive carries and the top 7% for progressive passes received per 90.
Ancelotti said: “Zielinski is a complete midfielder, he played in all positions with me. He is dynamic and skilled with the ball.”
The innate ball-playing ability would be something that Klopp could make good use of, and while he is not the most active of defensive components, Zielinski's qualities would meld wonderfully with the peers around him at Anfield.
The £108k-per-week ace could also prove to be the perfect alternative to Dominik Szoboszlai in the centre of the park, with the Hungarian maestro proving to be a revelation under Klopp's stewardship, having arrived from RB Leipzig for £60m in the summer.
How Piotr Zielinski compares to Dominik Szoboszlai
The "Hungarian artist", as he has been dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, enjoyed glinted riches in Germany with Leipzig, winning successive DFB Pokal titles, before making the move to Liverpool to try his hand in one of the the world's toughest divisions, and so far, he is ticking all the boxes.
Across 15 appearances, the 36-cap Hungary captain has scored two goals and two assists apiece, and while he is not finding the back of the net with the greatest regularity, his importance to the team transcends the mere joy of direct goal contributions.
Szoboszlai ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 10% for progressive passes and the top 7% for progressive carries per 90, and actually sees Zielinski listed as a comparable player.
Both immensely talented and creative forces, the Liverpool man has been integral in maintaining the fluency and spark in the centre this term, averaging 2.4 key passes and 7.2 ball recoveries per game while also completing 88% of his passes.
Zielinski, as is highlighted through his metrics earlier, offers the kind of talent to fill in and balance the workload; in the long run, this will only aid Liverpool in their endeavours.
Previously heralded as a "generational talent" by journalist Marcel Moeller, the 22-year-old is certainly staking his claim for a starring role in the Premier League for years to come, staggeringly talented, doggedly tenacious and seamlessly elegant in craft.
Liverpool might be well-equipped with a player of Szoboszlai's stature plying their trade in the centre of the pitch, but over-reliance on the £120k-per-week machine's qualities could prove to be detrimental, either by increasing the chance of injury or burning him out.
With Zielinski added to the fold, Klopp could finally wield a creative midfielder he has clearly done his homework on, complementing Szoboszlai's talents and filling in with constancy in his performances when need be.
With Thiago Alcantara's days seemingly numbered on Merseyside, out of contract next June, this could be a fantastic acquisition for an experienced winner who could settle the equilibrium.
