Piotr Zielinski should be the long-term successor to James Milner at Liverpool
According to The Express, Liverpool will go head-to-head in a transfer tussle to secure the services of Polish midfielder Piotr Zielinski. The 24-year-old is one of the hottest properties in the Serie A and currently plies his trade for Napoli. However, he recently signed a new long-term contract with the Naples-based outfit, which includes a staggering £107million release clause (h/t Express).
Jurgen Klopp was on a spending spree this summer and splashed the cash to sign the likes of Fabinho, Alisson Becker, Naby Keita, and Xherdan Shaqiri. His new signings haven’t disappointed him and all the summer recruits, barring Fabinho, have hit the ground running in the Premier League.
Liverpool are one of the three teams to remain unbeaten in the ongoing season of the Premier League, the other two being Manchester City and Chelsea. Liverpool’s lethal front three have once again stolen the show and eight out of the team’s eleven goals have come from Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino. Naby Keita has been the livewire in the midfield but one player who has been their unsung hero is none other than James Milner.
The 32-year-old former England international has started all five games for Liverpool this season and has solidified the midfield with his experience. Even at the age of 32, he has shown commendable work rate and has continued to prove himself as a perfect fit for Klopp’s high-intensity football.
Milner was one of the standout performers for Liverpool on their route to the Champions League final last season, during which he provided a whopping 8 assists. He has carried on from where he left off last season, scoring one and setting up another two in the Premier League so far.
Truth be told, he has been Liverpool’s most consistent performer over the years and Klopp has deployed him effectively in a number of positions. He has played as a central midfielder, defensive midfielder, winger, supporting striker and a left-back during his time at Liverpool. In fact, he has done it all. His dedication and commitment to the are certainly beyond doubt.
However, Milner is already 32 and his body might not be able to cope with Klopp’s high-intensity football for long. He has shown appreciable levels of fitness in the current season but given his age, he could find it difficult to go through the rigorous and tedious training schedules in the coming seasons. It is definitely not about replacing Milner but Liverpool should start looking for a long-term successor.
A versatile midfielder blessed with good technique, Zielinski has shown the ability to play in a number of positions in the midfield. Zieliński’s main attributes are his dribbling abilities, which attracts defenders towards him. His ball control is sensational and he can drive forward and beat defenders with his blistering speed.
His range of passing and remarkable vision allows him to pick out the runs of his teammates in the final third. Not only is he agile and has the presence of mind to get into good positions but he also has the ability to find the back of the net from long range.
Although he can be deployed as a central defensive midfielder, he is not particularly good at reading the game defensively and often hesitates to go into tackles. He also mistimes his challenges in the midfield which has gotten him into the referee’s books.
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Liverpool have Jordan Henderson, who is more of a defensive midfielder and prefers to operate from a deep position in the midfield. Naby Keita is more energetic and brings pace in the transition from defence to attack. However, Zielinski could bring creativity to Liverpool’s midfield. Not only would he be resourceful to the Reds with his ability to score goals but he could also prove to be the perfect feeder for the lethal forward line.
With the kind of quality that the Polish international boasts of, Jurgen Klopp should not hesitate to break the bank to clear his release clause and sign him in January.