Arsenal Reportedly Ready to Pay Piotr Zielinski's £57M Clause in Fresh Rumours

Arsenal are reportedly ready to swoop for Napoli midfielder Piotr Zielinski this summer in a deal worth a potential £57 million.

According to Corriere dello Mezzogiorno (h/t the Daily Mirror), the Gunners want to beat Liverpool to the signing of Zielinski. It's added he has a release clause amounting to the aforementioned sum in his contract at the San Paolo.

Corriere dello Mezzogiorno said Arsenal consider the Poland international as an important acquisition despite the impending departure of manager Arsene Wenger.

Zielinski hasn't been a regular for Napoli this term, with manager Maurizio Sarri tending to utilise a midfield trio of Allan, Jorginho and Marek Hamsik.

Italian football journalist David Amoyal suggested recently that Zielinski should have been given more opportunities:

Although the midfield used by Napoli has been crucial to the team pushing Juventus close for the Serie A title this season, Zielinski has refreshed the setup when he has been introduced.

In league matches in 2017-18, the midfielder has played 34 times, although has only started 12 of those. Zielinski has four goals and two assists for his efforts.

The 23-year-old's game is about more than the numbers he posts, though, as he knits play together at his best. Technically he is excellent, able to take the ball in tight spaces, dribble past onrushing defenders and pass with precision in the final third.

As noted by the Scouted Football Twitter account, Zielinski is also adept at shooting from distance on either foot:

Liverpool don't have a pressing need to invest in midfield positions, as they have a clutch of quality options to call upon in this area of the field. Additionally, Naby Keita will arrive from RB Leipzig in the summer.

Arsenal's midfield does appear to need some restructuring, though. Not only do they lack an authoritative defensive presence, they would also benefit from a controlling influence; it's a job Granit Xhaka has done at times this term, although the Swiss has proved to be inconsistent in his duties.

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In Santi Cazorla, the Gunners had an expert in this area, but he has struggled with injuries lately.

As noted by James Olley of the Evening Standard, the Spaniard has been a huge miss:

While Zielinski uses the ball well, he likes to make vertical surges forward and seeks to impact the game in the final third. Arsenal already have midfielders in that mould in Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere, so it's not immediately clear where he would fit in.

Plus, the fee mentioned would be a huge amount of money to spend on Zielinski, especially when the Gunners have yet to determine what type of coach they are to appoint following Wenger's exit.