Report: Liverpool tables £9.5M bid for Poland's Zielinski

Liverpool has acted on its previously recorded interest in Piotr Zielinski, putting forth a £9.5-million bid for the Udinese midfielder, according to the Guardian's Fabrizio Roman and Marcus Christenson.

The Reds, however, face competition from Napoli, which offered £8.7 million plus bonuses for the 21-year-old.

"Liverpool have made a bid for him and Zielinski wants to join them, but we are trying to convince the player to join us, because we have an agreement with Udinese," said Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis, according to the Guardian.

Zielinski, who enjoyed a successful two-year loan spell at Empoli, confirmed in April that he had held discussions with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. He scored five goals and tallied another four assists for the Tuscan side as it finished in the top half of the Serie A table last season.

Klopp reportedly assured Zielinski over the phone that he would have an important role to play at Liverpool. He's currently on duty with Poland for Euro 2016, and it's uncertain if a decision will be made during or after the tournament.

Zielinski could yet have his head turned by Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri, who worked with the Poland international at Empoli during the 2014-15 campaign. Sarri is credited with developing Zielinski into the box-to-box midfielder he is today.