Liverpool are the front-runners to sign a "complete" midfielder during the January transfer window, and it's a player Jurgen Klopp has been interested in for years.

Liverpool eyeing midfield signing

The Reds continued their good start to the season on Sunday afternoon, easing their way to an impressive 3-0 home victory over Brentford in the Premier League. It was an impressive result, especially with a host of midfielders unavailable, with the likes of Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch injured while Alexis Mac Allister was suspended.

Liverpool made significant changes in the middle of the park in the summer transfer window, but there does still appear to be a need to bring in a proper defensive midfielder when January rolls around. Mac Allister hasn't looked like a natural in the role, while Wataru Endo doesn't look like anything more than a squad player.

The Reds have been strongly linked with a move for Fluminense star Andre, but with the Brazilian also being tipped to join other Premier League clubs, they could have to turn their attention to other options. Now, a fresh transfer update suggests that Liverpool are front of the queue for a player who has been seen as a transfer target on Merseyside for a number of years.

Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)

€84.65m

Darwin Nunez (Liverpool)

€80m

Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool)

€70m

Alisson Becker (Liverpool)

€62.5m

Naby Keita (Liverpool)

€60m

Liverpool in pole position to sign Piotr Zielinski

According to a report from Spain, Liverpool are at the front of the queue to sign Napoli midfielder Piotr Zielinski, seeing him as a strong option to bring in and bolster their midfield. The update suggests that the Reds are more interested in the 29-year-old than his other suitors, who played a key role in his current club winning their first Serie A title since 1990 last season.

He is a fantastic player who has shone at the top level for a long time now, so the idea of him playing for the Reds is exciting because of the natural ability he possesses. Zielinski has scored ten goals in 86 caps for Poland, highlighting his pedigree as an international footballer, and he also has 96 goal contributions (50 goals and 46 assists) in 345 appearances for Napoli.

That being said, he is now 29 years of age, so he wouldn't represent a long-term signing – he is only a year younger than Endo, for example – and he also isn't the out-and-out No.6 that Liverpool need, instead shining as more of a No.8 a lot of the time.

Appearances

345

Goals

50

Assists

46

Klopp does appear to rate Zielinski highly as a player, considering the Reds were linked with bringing him before they snapped up Gini Wijnaldum instead back in 2016, but it would be a surprise if he came to Anfield at this point in his career.

Should it happen, there would certainly be reasons to be positive, with Carlo Ancelotti once heaping praise on him as a player, saying he is a "complete midfielder" who is "dynamic and skilled with the ball". It feels unlikely, though, and a younger, more defence-minded option should be looked at instead of him.