Gini Wijnaldum appeared to confirm his departure from Liverpool this summer on a free, with his contract set to expire.
The No.5 had been long-linked with a switch to Ronald Koeman’s Barcelona, though there are suspicions that the rise of highly-talented youngster Ilaix Moriba may present something of a stumbling block.
Gini Wijnaldum has all but confirmed he is leaving Liverpool this summer.
He said: "As it looks right now, it is goodbye."
— Paul Gorst (@ptgorst) May 23, 2021
Recent reports have speculated that the Dutchman could instead pursue a move to Thiago Alcantara’s old club, Bayern Munich.
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Having helped Jurgen Klopp’s men win the Champions League, Premier League, Super Cup, and the Club World Cup, the No.5 can certainly leave Merseyside with his head held high.
Considering his obvious importance to the German coach, it’s not a loss we’ll be taking lightly here at the Empire of the Kop.
The recruitment team will need to not only replace the former Newcastle United star’s skillset but also find a midfielder that can be a reliable presence, amongst a number of injury-prone midfield options.
Yves Bissouma has been touted as such an option, though it remains to see whether Liverpool’s interest in the player is vaguely concrete.
For now, we wish Gini nothing but the best going forward – we’ll miss him greatly.
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