Arsenal have expressed their desire to sign Piotr Zielinski, with Napoli open to cashing in on their star player this summer.
According to Il Mattino, Arsenal have emerged as the latest club to be interested in Piotr Zielinski. It appears Napoli are open to selling almost all of their star players for the right price this summer after facing the brunt of the pandemic. It has put the Premier League giants on red alert, with Mikel Arteta keen on shoring up the creative department.
Zielinski has been identified as an ideal fit, although the report does suggest that the playmaker might cost a fortune. Napoli are indeed not willing to let any of their star players for cut-price. The 27-year-old also has a contract at Naples that doesn’t expire until 2024, giving the Partenopei the leverage to demand a higher fee.
The Serie A giants have recently hired Luciano Spalletti as their new coach. Although it remains unknown whether the Italian tactician rates Zielinski, it could encourage Arsenal to make a move, knowing the new coach might want to get rid of players who don’t absolutely suit his philosophy.
Zielinski, though, has been quite successful at Napoli since joining the club in 2016. He has chipped in with 32 goals and 28 assists in 239 competitive appearances, with 19 of his goal involvements coming in the recently concluded 2020/21 campaign.
An attacking midfielder, the Pole has shown excellent versatility during his time in Naples. He has featured in central midfield and the wide midfield role, becoming a vital cog in the club’s second line of press as well as the creative department.
It bodes well for an Arsenal side looking for tactically versatile playmakers. The Gunners have recently lost Martin Odegaard after the playmaker returned to Real Madrid following the end of his loan spell. They also missed out on Emiliano Buendia, who chose to join Aston Villa, leaving Arteta desperate to find a new number ten.
Zielinski might not be as effective ball-carrier as Odegaard, but he does offer certain aggression, versatility and tactical astuteness to the table. However, his potential move to Arsenal will depend a lot on how the club fares in the ongoing transfer window.
The north London giants are already expected to pay a fortune for Ben White in the summer. It should heavily impact their financial powers in the market, forcing them to rely on the sale of fringe players to fund a move for Zielinski.