Sports journalist Fabrizio Romano has recently provided the Liverpool supporters with an update on the future of Georginio Wijnaldum.
The 29-year-old’s current Anfield contract is due to expire at the end of next season but according to Romano, the Merseyside giants are ‘confident’ an agreement can be reached with regards to an extension.
In response to a question from a supporter on Twitter regarding whether or not he had an update on the contract talks between the club and the midfielder, he responded: ‘Liverpool still confident.‘
Wijnaldum, a Dutch international, has played a key role in what has been a highly successful season for the Reds, starting in 92% of their Premier League fixtures. To date, he has made 35 appearances in the English top flight this season, scoring three goals.
The centre-midfielder arrived back in July 2016 from Newcastle United in a deal reportedly worth £24.75m (via Transfermarkt.co.uk).
TIF Thoughts…
According to WhoScored, Wijnaldum’s average performance rating in the Premier League this season stands at a very respectable 6.78/10, but it appears he has performed to a slightly higher level in the UEFA Champions League, where he has scored 6.92/10.
Wijnaldum’s rating makes him the club’s 12th-joint-most consistent performer this season, which on the surface doesn’t sound all that impressive, but the regularity with which he has been selected evidences the fact that in Jurgen Klopp’s eyes, he is a very important player nevertheless.
Would you like to see the club extend Wijnaldum's contract?
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The player’s current value, as per Transfermarkt.co.uk, is £36m and so if the club decided to cash in on their midfielder rather than offering him a new deal, you could argue they could command a significant sum for the player. However, we can assume based on Romano’s comments, that the club are indeed hopeful of keeping hold of Wijnaldum and are confident they’ll be able to agree on an extension.