£10m Gini Wijnaldum risk has turned into a season-saving decision

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Liverpool took a real risk in the summer with their Gini Wijnaldum decision. It now looks like a season-saving choice from the Reds.

Liverpool made an incredible decision to keep Gini Wijnaldum. The midfielder’s reliability is proving invaluable right now – he’s the only senior midfielder who hasn’t gone down injured this season.

We’ve seen Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, Thiago and Naby Keita all out. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain hasn’t even played this season because of an injury.

But Wijnaldum has always been there. Though, he very nearly wasn’t.

Gini Wijnaldum stays

Liverpool took a real chance keeping the player this season. Wijnaldum’s contract expires at the end of the season, after all, and he can leave for free.

That means a summer transfer would have been very tempting. The Mirror, for one, claimed Barcelona wanted to pay £10m to Liverpool for Wijnaldum.

Mundo Deportivo recently said the 30-year-old had agreed to a deal with Barcelona, in fact. Yet, he remains at Anfield.

Liverpool passed up £10m to keep Wijnaldum here this season, then. £10m more than they’ll get if the Dutchman moves on after this season. It sounds like he might, if he truly agreed that contract with Barcelona.

So in a roundabout way, the Reds are paying around £10m to keep Wijnaldum this season. That’s what they could have had.

And there is absolutely no doubt that they made the right choice. We already went over the injuries in midfield that have left Wijnaldum as the only consistent part.

But it’s more than that. Injuries at the back shuffled things around drastically. Fabinho is back playing there, limiting midfield numbers further.

The injuries also take away solidity – something a veteran like Wijnaldum can try to help with. And he certainly did that against Leicester City, dropping back into a deep midfield role where Liverpool needed him.

That kind of versatility, coupled with his experience, makes Wijnaldum invaluable to Liverpool right now. Certainly far more than £10m.

Liverpool’s decision was certainly a risk but it’s one that will save their season.