Agent claims two Serie A stars could have made Liverpool move

Italian football agent Gianluca di Carlo has claimed that two of his clients could have made moves to Liverpool in recent times, including one linked with Anfield this summer.

After a pretty torrid 2022/23 campaign, Liverpool were forced into a heavy summer rebuild, bringing four new faces through the door at Anfield and letting a host of ageing players leave the club.

All of Jurgen Klopp's summer signings were midfielders, an area of the pitch in which Liverpool were in dire need of reinforcements.

Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch made the switch to Merseyside, with all four having settled impressively at Anfield.

However, according to agent Di Carlo, the Reds' midfield could have looked very different this summer.

Speaking to Sport Italia, Di Carlo claims Liverpool have held interest in two of his clients in recent years, one of whom could have joined the Reds this summer.

Di Carlo suggests that Liverpool were close to agreeing a deal with Napoli's Piotr Zielinski two years ago. The Polish midfielder is a name supporters will be familiar with as the 29-year-old has been readily linked with Merseyside in the past, with the Serie A star potentially available on a free transfer next summer.

"Given that the Zielinski deal seems easier to do for free, in June, than in January by paying him for the Italian clubs," said Di Carlo.

"However, we are talking about a player who could have gone to Liverpool two years ago. He has matured perfectly because of the right path he did: from Poland, to Udinese, with the move to Empoli, then Napoli where he arrived after becoming important in Friuli."

While interest in Zielinski has come and gone at Anfield, Di Carlo's other client, Daichi Kamada, was linked with Liverpool this summer before joining Lazio on a free transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt.

Liverpool ended up with a different Japanese midfielder from the Bundesliga, but attacking midfielder Kamada was briefly linked with the Reds.

"The player [Kamada] was on a free transfer and many clubs had gone for him: Milan, Liverpool, Benfica, Real Sociedad," Di Carlo stated.

Kamada has settled quickly in Serie A, but was never the kind of midfielder Liverpool would have been seriously interested in. Operating much further up the pitch, often as a No. 10, the 27-year-old's age profile and play style would have made him an unlikely signing.

Klopp will be incredibly happy with his currently midfield options, with all of his summer signings having made quick starts to life at the club.

While there could still be room for another defensive-minded option in the centre of the park, the Reds' midfield now looks incredibly well balanced.