Liverpool bizarrely refused to extend Georginio Wijnaldum’s contract and, since he joined Paris Saint-Germain, the Reds’ midfield has been terrible defensively.
The Dutchman reportedly earns £180,000 a week and Liverpool refused to meet his demands, despite then handing 31-year-old Jordan Henderson an extension of his own.
This voids the argument that Liverpool only refused to renew Gini’s terms because he was too old, as the PSG star is a year younger than Henderson.
I’m not here to diminish Henderson’s importance to Liverpool, but the fact of the matter is that Jurgen Klopp’s system, which relied so heavily on the fitness, diligence and defensive awareness of Wijnaldum, is flawed without him.
The Reds are easily overrun in midfield and, while Thiago Alcantara will be a boost to the Anfield outfit’s ability to control games, it won’t stop Premier League and Champions League sides from obliterating Liverpool on the counter-attack.
As with any team, being hurt in transition is the most likely way to find a goal. However, Liverpool are more vulnerable than any of the other big sides in the Premier League bar Manchester United.
,Wijnaldum’s biggest weakness is his use of the ball and some have argued that is why he wasn’t kept at Anfield. But you can surround players like the Dutchman with more creative players to negate that issue.
That argument also falls flat when you consider how incredible he is for a free-flowing Netherlands national team side that boasts the likes of Depay and Donyell Malen.
Liverpool should not have let Wijnaldum leave but they did, and I think it is a decision they will be regretting until they can find someone to offer Fabinho the defensive support in midfield he requires.