Pundit Phil Egan has recently made a claim about Georginio Wijnaldum and his future at Liverpool, amidst links with a move to Barcelona.
Egan was a guest on the latest episode of the OTB Football podcast and the panel discussed many potential transfers in European football. Egan was asked about Wijnaldum and his links with a move to Barcelona. The pundit believes that the Dutchman leaving Liverpool could be a ‘good deal’ for the Reds if they end up signing Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich.
Dutch outlet AD have recently linked Wijnaldum with a move to the Nou Camp, with Ronald Koeman now the manager at Barcelona. The report claims that Koeman has also ‘urged’ the midfielder to not sign a new contract at Liverpool.
Egan believes that Wijnaldum heading to the Catalan club will be a ‘good deal’ for the Reds. He linked the Dutchman’s exit to Liverpool’s potential move for Thiago.
The pundit said: “So, the Wijnaldum deal, then, makes a lot more sense. [He is] a guy that has a year left on his contract. The contract talks stalled a little bit – obviously, with [the pandemic], everything was put on hold and they haven’t really picked things up.
Do you see Wijnaldum leaving Liverpool for Barcelona?
No, he will stay
Yes, he will leave
He continued: “They did put it on hold; they didn’t resume it when they were meant to. At the start, they legitimately said ‘look, let’s come back to this in a bit. Obviously, things are just going on around us that are out of our control’.
“He’s a fan favourite, he signed from Newcastle, who had been relegated that season. He scored some huge goals, including two against Barcelona in that comeback last season. The fans love him, but there is this dilemma where he is 29 – do you give him another deal? But then, Thiago is 29.”
“I think if Liverpool got the same money that they’re willing to pay for Thiago, then it’d be a good deal for them.”
TIF Thoughts…
In the 2019/20 season, Wijnaldum made 45 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool. 37 of those appearances came in the Premier League and in all competitions, he found the back of the net six times.
He racked up a WhoScored rating of 6.81 in the Premier League last season and 11 players picked up better ratings than him. He is 29 and isn’t getting any younger with every passing day. His market value has also reduced since June 2019.
So if Liverpool want to get good money from his sale, this summer might be a good time to sell him.