Paris Saint-Germain outcast Gini Wijnaldum will reportedly prioritise a move back to England in the summer if he doesn’t find himself part of the club’s long-term plans.
The Dutchman, 31, joined Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer last summer after letting his Liverpool contract run down. However, he has been unhappy with his lack of regular first-team opportunities, managing only 16 Ligue 1 starts under Mauricio Pochettino so far. This has prompted the central midfielder to consider his future at the Parc des Princes.
According to TEAMtalk, Aston Villa are among a few clubs interested in signing PSG midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum.
In fact, former Aston Villa right-back Alan Hutton has backed the Midlands club to make a move for the 31-year-old in the summer, with offers around £20million likely to turn PSG’s heads, the report adds.
“To make his mark in the way he has is phenomenal. It doesn’t surprise me that teams like Liverpool are watching him.
“Wijnaldum has moved on and he can fill that role, fans are going to hate me but he would fit into that team.”
[Alan Hutton speaking to Football Insider] #AVFC pic.twitter.com/VDWNwdJTTE
— DougEllisStand (@DougEllisStand) July 5, 2021
Hutton told Football Insider (h/t TEAMtalk):
“There’s no question that he is a fantastic player. It’s not quite worked for him at PSG but he’s been there. Seen it and done it in the Premier League.
“He’s still got a lot to give. It’s a deal that Aston Villa can afford, obviously. If you want to get to the next level these are the sorts of players you need in your football cub to raise the standards within.”
So without further ado, here are three reasons why Aston Villa should make a move for Wijnaldum.
#3 Gini Wijnaldum has Premier League experience and the winning mentality
Georginio Wijnaldum spent five seasons with Liverpool and won the Premier League title as well as the Champions League under the tutelage of Jurgen Klopp. Prior to that, he had spent a season in the Tyneside with Newcastle United.
🚨 Aston Villa are closely monitoring out-of-favour PSG midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, and could bid around £21m.
(Source: Sun Sport) pic.twitter.com/f9Pc0kR0bs
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) March 7, 2022
The Netherlands international made 179 Premier League appearances, scoring 16 goals in the process. That just tells one the amount of experience and the winning mentality Wijnaldum could bring to Aston Villa.
Besides, the 31-year-old will add something extra to the Villans as he is clearly capable of playing a more physical game if the situation demands.
#2 Potential link-up with Philippe Coutinho
Philippe Coutinho has been a breath of fresh air for Aston Villa ever since he arrived on loan from Barcelona in January. With four goals and three assists in nine league games, he has made an instant impact at Villa Park, becoming one of the first names on Gerrard’s team sheet in the process.
Back to Wijnaldum, the Dutchman spent one-and-half-season with Coutinho at Liverpool and were consistent performers in Klopp’s side then.
Thus, the two potentially linking in midfield for Villa next season would appear to be an exciting prospect for the fans, although Gerrard and the club are yet to decide whether to sign Coutinho permanently from Brazilian or not.
#3 Smart short-term option for Aston Villa
During his five-year stay with Liverpool, Wijnaldum had averaged just above 47 games a season. In his last three seasons under Klopp, he had missed only four Premier League games combined, which speak volumes about the Dutch midfielder’s fitness levels.
While he is 31, Wijnaldum still has two to three years of top-level football left in his tank. Add his fitness levels and volumes of experience to his rumoured £20 million valuation slapped by PSG, he could prove to be a shrewd acquisition for Steven Gerrard’s Villa side next season.
Wijnaldum has good tenacity and is hard to dispossess. Without any disrespect to the current Aston Villa midfielders, he will quite easily become a regular under Gerrard if they sign him.