Piotr Zielinski Reportedly in Napoli Contract Talks Amid Liverpool Rumours

Napoli midfielder Piotr Zielinski is reportedly in talks with the club over a new contract amid links to Liverpool and Bayern Munich.

According to Neil Fissler of the Sunday Express, the Poland international remains a target for Reds manager Jurgen Klopp, although any hopes of a January deal are likely to be scuppered, with Zielinski set to sign a contract extension at the Stadio San Paolo.

Fissler reported Zielinski has a £60 million release clause in his deal, although any fresh set of terms would increase that trigger amount.

"The biggest sticking point appears to be that Napoli want to double the buyout clause that the midfielder has in his current contract," said Fissler, who also credited German champions Bayern with an interest in the Napoli star.

Jon Super/Associated Press

Zielinski's deal expires in 2021, and he was recently quizzed on the prospect of an extension at Napoli. 

"Negotiations are ongoing between my entourage and the club," he said after the 2-2 draw with Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, per Football Italia. "Napoli are asking for a pretty high release clause, and I think we'll reach a deal soon."

Although Zielinski found himself behind Jorginho, Allan and Marek Hamsik in the pecking order under Maurizio Sarri last seasom, the sale of the former of that trio and the departure of the manager have allowed the 24-year-old to take on a more important role this season.

Ahead of Sunday's crucial meeting with Roma, Zielinski has started eight of the team's nine Serie A games this season and been in fine form, netting two goals.

Earlier in the campaign, Italian football journalist David Amoyal was full of praise for the playmaker:

As Fissler noted, Zielinski has been linked with Liverpool for a long time, with Reds said to have kept tabs on his development since his spell on loan at Empoli from Udinese between 2014 and 2016.

He is an important player for Napoli, providing a link between midfield and attack with his superb dribbling and passing ability.

Versatility is also one of the Pole's strong points. Last term, he was used as a deep-sitting midfielder at times under Sarri, while he's also adept at pushing forward in support of a striker. Manager Carlo Ancelotti has utilised him on the left flank in a 4-4-2 formation too.

Regardless of where he's played, Zielinski has been one of the most creative players in Italy this season:

After spending big to sign Fabinho and Naby Keita, the Reds are stacked with midfield options. Even so, they did try to land Nabil Fekir in the previous transfer window and may still be on the lookout for a player in his mould.

Zielinski appears content with life at Napoli and is starting to make progress because of the regular minutes he's getting. It's tough to see Bayern or Liverpool paying the kind of fee that would be needed to prise him from the club should he agree a new deal too.