19-year-old midfield wonderkid claims he dreams of playing for Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp

Italian midfielder Tommaso Baldanzi has claimed he'd love to play under Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp one day as he continues to make a name for himself at Serie A side Empoli. 

The 19-year-old, who primarily plays as an attacking midfielder, has enjoyed a breakthrough season for Empoli and has four Serie A goals to his name. In an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, Baldanzi admitted that he'd love to play under Klopp and went on to speak about his exploits this season.

“I didn’t expect to start so strong in my first year in Serie A. I’m happy because it was a really good start. But now there’s a second part, where we have to continue to do well, both for Empoli and for myself.

“I would like one day to be coached by Klopp. He’s a very strong coach on a world level, but I’m not thinking about it now. I have to keep working and improving, then we’ll see what happens. It will remain a dream because we are at too high a level. It’s already nice to play and grow in my home.”

Empoli manager Paolo Zanetti referred to Baldanzi as an 'extraordinary' talent in an interview with TuttoMercatoWeb and also spoke about the youngster's ability to deal with pressure.

“We are talking about an extraordinary talent. He’s got great talent. He played at San Siro and made my heart race. He has the courage to play, he does it at San Siro as if it were his home pitch. This bravado means he is attractive for the big clubs.

“(Baldanzi) knows how to handle pressure. He needs to improve in numbers, he can produce a few more assists. But I think it’s part of his growth path.”

ANFIELD WATCH VERDICT

Klopp has nurtured several young players over the course of his glittering career with Mainz, Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool, with the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones becoming key players at the club under his tutelage, amongst others.

However, with Liverpool's midfield in desperate of fresh legs and energy, Baldanzi may not be the answer to our problems as he functions predominantly as a #10.