Piotr Zielinski, the Inter Milan maestro, of what could have been, detailing how personally courted him for a move to .
as Klopp envisioned him at Anfield, even comparing his playing style to a blend of Cesc Fabregas and Ilkay Gundogan.
Back in the summer of 2016, Zielinski was high on Klopp's wishlist, potentially set to be one of the marquee signings as the German tactician looked to stamp his authority on the squad. The Reds were keen to snag the midfielder from Udinese before they eventually snapped up Gini Wijnaldum.
Zielinski reminisced during an interview with Foot Truck on their YouTube channel about the charm offensive he experienced from Klopp. He recounted: "Jurgen Klopp invited me to his house. Liverpool sent a private jet to pick me up."
The Liverpool boss lavished him with praise, suggesting he had elements of both Arsenal and Barcelona icon Fabregas and Manchester City's maestro in his game.
Despite the flattery and the clear interest, the transfer hit a snag over Udinese's valuation, with the Italian club holding out for more than the $20.2 million Liverpool offered.
The story of the near-transfer is now out in the open as Zielinski reflected on the personal touch from Klopp, saying: "Klopp told me that for him I am a mix between Fabregas and Gundogan. I didn't understand anything, but then my agent, who spoke German, told me everything."
The memory remains bittersweet, as he also shared a moment from his departure: "When we were leaving I managed to take a photo with Klopp who was at the door and said goodbye. They were offering €18.5m, but Udinese wanted something more.
"However, Liverpool couldn't cross a certain limit with me because I wasn't a top player yet. The other side of the coin is that I didn't feel like one either."
Following this experience, Liverpool went on to secure Georginio Wijnaldum from Newcastle United for a fee in the region of $32.6 million. Wijnaldum became an integral part of the team that triumphed in both the Champions League and the Premier League in 2019 and 2020.
