Newcastle United and Liverpool discover price tag on Champions League star

Newcastle United and Liverpool have reportedly been told what they will have to do if they want to sign Napoli’s in-form midfielder Piotr Zielinski this summer.

The Poland international has become a key cog in the Napoli side ever since he made a £12m move from Serie A rivals Udinese during the summer of 2016. He helped the Azzurri to a Coppa Italia Final win over Juventus in June 2020 and has been a consistent presence in their midfield during the current season as Luciano Spalletti’s side challenge for success in domestic competition and in the Champions League.

Napoli sit clear at the top of the Serie A table after losing just two of their 26 league games so far this season and they progressed into the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 5-0 aggregate win over Eintracht Frankfurt earlier this week to set up a last-eight meeting with AC Milan.

Zielinski has scored seven goals and provided nine assists in 35 appearances in all competitions including a brace in Napoli’s 4-1 win over Liverpool in their opening Champions League group stage game. That is said to have firmed up Jurgen Klopp’s long-standing interest in the midfielder - but Newcastle are also believed to be taking an interest as they look to boost their options in the middle of the park ahead of next season.

Italian outlet CalcioMercatoWeb have now claimed Napoli have placed a £35m price tag on the midfielder’s head as they look to warn off interest in several of the players that have taken them to within touching distance of their first Serie A title since Diego Maradona’s days as a player. The likes of prolific striker Victor Osimhen and Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are both said to be attracting interest from several of European football’s biggest clubs ahead of the summer transfer window.