Liverpool chiefs ‘stunned’ at Georginio Wijnaldum contract issue amid Barcelona interest
Liverpool: Steve Nicol urges club to keep Gini Wijnaldum
Georginio Wijnaldum will be a free agent at Liverpool this summer which has reportedly left Anfield officials ‘stunned’. Wijnaldum has been a key member of Jurgen Klopp’s squad over the past few years, playing a huge role in their recent Champions League and Premier League successes.
But Liverpool now face the real possibility of losing Wijnaldum for free come the end of the season.
Wijnaldum first joined Liverpool from Newcastle in 2015 and originally signed a five-year contract.
He’s one of the longest standing servants at Anfield but he’s seen a number of newcomers handed lucrative contract extensions while Wijnaldum remained on his original deal.
Reports suggest Wijnaldum’s preference is to stay at Anfield, but he wants a deal which reflects his importance for Klopp.
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Wijnaldum was Klopp’s most used midfielder last season as they went on to win the Premier League and he scored two famous goals against Barcelona on their way to Champions League glory in 2019.
Klopp himself has made it clear that he wants Wijnaldum to sign a new deal at Anfield.
“I hope so [that he signs], to be honest,” Klopp told Amazon Sport last month.
“You can see that, he plays all the time. We have a pretty good relationship. I hope so.”
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However, negotiations have seemingly stalled and Eurosport report club officials have been left ‘stunned’ that Wijnaldum could leave for free.
It is claimed their main focus in the January transfer window is to strike an agreement with Wijnaldum.
Ryan Babel knows Wijnaldum well from their time together with the Dutch international side and also has experience of leaving Liverpool for something new.
But Babel admits he still regrets leaving Liverpool in 2011 and has warned Wijnaldum that he may end up feeling the same way.
“When I left to go and play in Germany, where TSG Hoffenheim had become a big force, it was to become the biggest regret of my career,” he told the Daily Mirror.
“The only reason I left was because I wanted to have more playing minutes to keep my place in the Holland team.
“But you don’t realise how dominating the playing style is at Liverpool until you play in a different team and league.”
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