Gini Wijnaldum had actually agreed a deal with Barcelona, according to reports. The move fell apart because of the asking-price, however.
This comes from Mundo Deportivo. The Spanish outlet claims Gini Wijnaldum ‘agreed everything’ with Barcelona but the deal broke down.
Liverpool wanted too much money – £22m to £26m – for Wijnaldum. But Barcelona weren’t prioritising a centre-midfielder and figured that was too much for a player on an expiring contract.
Unsurprisingly, the Catalonians still want Wijnaldum. He’ll be free at the end of the season, after all, saving them a lot of money.
But that comes with a catch – other teams can get involved. Internazionale like him, according to CalcioMercato, while Sport believes Real Madrid want him.
Barcelona face quite a fight, then.
What RTK has to say
The way transfers work these days, it’s entirely believable that Barcelona and Wijnaldum has a verbal agreement.
We also completely believe that Barcelona felt £22m was too much. Wijnaldum’s contract is expiring, after all.
So the real story here, from a Liverpool perspective, is that Wijnaldum agreed terms with a club. It points to the player leaving at the end of the season and that there is at least one club out there offering a deal that Liverpool won’t.
And that would be a blow. Wijnaldum has been a key player for years now, really ever since his arrival. Losing him would hurt, especially as everyone around him can’t stay fit.
Wijnaldum’s reliability and consistent energy in midfield helps Liverpool tick. Losing that would mean the Reds head in a new tactical direction or simply become a lesser team.
Either way, Wijnaldum leaving would be a blow that we’d rather not see. Hopefully, Liverpool can find a way to keep him at the club but if this report is accurate, that seems quite unlikely.
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