Liverpool would be smart to sign January Gini Wijnaldum replacement

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Liverpool would be making a very smart move in signing a replacement for Gini Wijnaldum this January. The Reds reportedly have their eyes on someone.

Gini Wijnaldum can start discussing terms with foreign clubs in January. His contract expires at the end of the season, meaning it’s under a month before teams can formally offer him something new.

Thus Liverpool are in a tricky position. £25m Wijnaldum is 30, after all, and they may not want to hand him a big, long-term contract. Others might, though.

The closer we get to January, the more likely it seems that Wijnaldum will leave. That will be tough on the Reds, who use the player in a prominent role.

They’d need to replace him in the team and reports suggest they have their eyes on Yves Bissouma. We think that could be a smart move – he’ll certainly have impressed last Saturday.

Even smarter, though, is the idea of bringing in Wijnaldum’s replacement ASAP. That could prove to be brilliant.

Learning experience

It can take some players a long time to adapt to Liverpool. Now, there are exceptions like Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah – but they’re anomalies.

A lot of time, we get situations like with Fabinho or Naby Keita. Fabinho, for instance, didn’t start a game for months after his arrival. He didn’t start a big game in Liverpool’s preferred system until the following March.

Kieta has been at the club for over two years now – and we’re still waiting to see his best.

Andy Robertson, too, had to wait until December before he got a proper run in the side. This isn’t an easy club to slot into, even for great players.

So if Liverpool want a seamless transition from Wijnaldum to his replacement, signing them in January makes a lot of sense.

It would give a player – whether that’s Bissouma or not – time to learn Liverpool’s ways and learn from Wijnaldum himself. The Reds could get that period of adaption out of the way before it starts to really matter next season.

Now, this isn’t flawless. Takumi Minamino arrived last January but he’s still getting up to speed. But we think that’s different.

Minamino doesn’t have an obvious place in the team, especially after Diogo Jota exploded into life. A box-to-box midfielder, though, has a very obvious spot – Wijnaldum’s.

This all seems like a smart move, then. We may well see Wijnaldum play alongside his replacement this season.