Liverpool will sacrifice a January transfer to keep Gini Wijnaldum for five more months, according to reports. The Dutchman can leave for free in June.
This comes from the Athletic. They claim that Liverpool will not sell Gini Wijnaldum in the January transfer window.
The reason why is pretty simply – they value five more months of Wijnaldum higher than any potential fee.
The 30-year-old can leave at the end of the season, of course. His contract expires at the end of June, meaning foreign teams can start discussing terms with him from January 1st.
Thus Liverpool may only have January through May before they lose the English, European and World champion.
What RTK has to say
We’re not surprised at this stance. Wijnaldum is a key player – one Jurgen Klopp considers ‘outstanding’ – and has become even more so during this injury crisis.
His versatility is worth a fortune right now, let alone his ability to stay fit. Thank God Liverpool didn’t sell him, in truth.
So when it comes down to it, any potential January fee really won’t be worth all of that. Mundo Deportivo said that Barcelona, for instance, weren’t willing to pay £20m ahead of the season.
And that was for a full campaign – the Reds won’t get near that for just five months.
Wijnaldum may well leave but Liverpool will almost certainly keep him for the duration of his contract. While we wish they could extend his stay, this is undoubtedly the smartest move right now.
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