Barcelona are reportedly in talks to sign Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, as Ronald Koeman is keen on signing the player.
Koeman was given the Barcelona job after the Blaugrana finished the 2019-20 season trophyless, and has already worked with Wijnaldum for the international team.
As per Catalan Daily Sport, Barcelona are in talks to sign Wijnaldum for a fee of around €15m and €20m, and the player could sign a three-year deal.
⚠️🔵🔴 Portada @sport: Wijnaldum da el OK. Contrato de tres temporadas. Negociaciones avanzadas con el Liverpool. Traspaso entre 15-20M. Lo pide Koeman #fcblive pic.twitter.com/0fjLYuoiqC
— Albert Rogé (@albert_roge) September 1, 2020
Wijnaldum has just one year remaining on his current contract, and talks of an extension with Liverpool have not progressed well, so he could be on the move.
Liverpool have also been linked with a move for Thiago Alcantara, who could be a direct replacement for Wijnaldum, but he is expected to cost more money than what they might receive for the latter.
Georginio Wijnaldum – Liverpool’s loss will be Barcelona’s gain
The Dutchman might not be the most creative of midfielders and he will not score a ton of goals from midfield, but he has been a regular part of the Liverpool midfield because of his tenacity, and ability to hold the ball.
Barcelona’s had a decent first half of the 2019-20 season, but fell apart after football resumed following the pandemic suspension.
The Catalans lacked imposing figures at the back, and the midfield could not offer the backline any sort of protection as the team collapsed like a pack of cards in the final few games weeks of the Spanish league and the Champions League.
The defeat against Bayern Munich was the final nail in the coffin, with even prominent figures like Gerard Pique voicing their opinion on how there needs to be an overhaul for the club to move forward.
There are some promising players in the Barcelona squad, as the likes of Ansu Fati, Riqui Puig, and Frenkie De Jong are the future. However, there’s no doubt that the team needs stronger personalities.
Even Lionel Messi, despite all his legendary exploits on the pitch, isn’t the leader to get them out of a mire as he is not the vocal leader on the pitch.
Wijnaldum, on the other hand, is a player who has been Jürgen Klopp’s spokesman for the squad, and a leader in the dressing, as touched upon by the Athletic’s Simon Hughes.
The Dutchman has been a key part of the dressing room, and under someone like Koeman, that influence could further grow if he moves to Barcelona.
Koeman has Barcelona in his DNA, and even though he might not have had the most telling of spells in England, he is a respected figure at the club, and will be backed with the players he wants.
Wijnaldum will add more work-rate and leadership to the Barcelona team, and has the experience of winning the Champions League and league title with Liverpool, so he has the winning mentality and temerity that Barcelona will need under Koeman.
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