Zielinski: “I turned down Barca, Arsenal, Liverpool and Juventus to join Inter"

Piotr Zielinski arrived at Inter on a free transfer after putting an end to his eight-year spell at Napoli last summer. The midfielder, who spent his entire professional footballing career in Italy, had already agreed to join Inter several months before the transfer was made official in July. However, he revealed that he had the opportunity to leave Serie A in the summer transfer window as several suitors across Europe were courting him to make the switch.

“Liverpool, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Juventus were interested in me," revealed Zielinski. "I had specific requests from Barcelona. I like Italy.” Despite being in high-demand among other leagues, the Polish international chose to remain in the Italian top-flight, admitting that a move elsewhere would've been challenging. “When I arrived at Napoli, I felt good, it would have been difficult for me to go to England, for example. I would have considered Spain, but the priority was to continue my career in Italy. I'm at Inter, but Napoli is also a great club and I would have been happy to extend my contract.," he added.

Zielinski also shared insight behind his start to life with the 'Nerazzurri'. “I arrived at a big club, where they make go through some rough training,” he said, as he spoke to 'Kanał Sportowy' via 'FcInterNews'. “The first three or four days of preseason were tough. The preparation period was probably the most difficult since I arrived in Italy," he further revealed.

That said, the former Napoli man is satisfied with his choice to sign for Inter, with the city also playing a factor in his decision-making. “In Milano, a player has everything he needs, he just has to think about playing well," he said. Zielinski struggled for game time at the start of the campaign, but is now finding rhythm after picking up more minutes in recent matches. He currently has 2 goals in 8 Serie A games this season.

 

November 15, 2024