Liverpool midfielder Gini Wijnaldum will be a free agent at the end of this season and the Dutch international will be allowed to discuss a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs when the transfer window re-opens in January.
As per Calciomercato (h/t Mirror), the Premier League champions have now made their move to keep the 30-year-old midfielder at the club.
Liverpool have offered him a pay raise and a three-year extension. Wijnaldum currently earns £75,000 per week at Anfield and the new deal will take his wages up to £115,000 per week. The Reds are hoping that the pay hike will tempt the midfielder to commit his future to the club.
Gini Wijnaldum is thought to be keen on a four-year extension and it remains to be seen whether the two parties can come to some sort of compromise eventually.
As per Calciomercato, the likes of Inter Milan and Barcelona are thought to be keeping tabs on the player’s situation right now.
A player of Wijnaldum’s calibre will probably want to join a Champions League club if he decides to move on and Barcelona could be the ideal move for him. Also, he has worked with Ronald Koeman before and the Barcelona manager might be able to convince him to take up a new challenge in Spain.
The Spanish outfit are currently in need of midfield reinforcements and a player of Wijnaldum’s pedigree on a free transfer would be a sensational piece of transfer business.
The Dutchman has been one of the most influential figures at the club since Jurgen Klopp took over as the manager. If he was to leave, it would be a blow for Liverpool and would require them dipping into the transfer market to sign a replacement.
Replacing Wijnaldum’s versatility and availability will be quite a challenge for the Reds if he decides to move on and Klopp will have to strengthen in multiple areas in order to fill the Dutchman’s void, just like he did with Coutinho.
Apart from being a quality player, Wijnaldum’s consistent availability and injury-free status is a major asset for Liverpool. The 30-year-old has missed just 11 Premier League games in his last four seasons with the Reds. Only Roberto Firmino has played more Premier League games for Liverpool in that time.
Furthermore, Wijnaldum has been a consistent performer for Liverpool in a number of roles and his versatility has proven to be an added bonus. Wijnaldum has played six different positions for Klopp during his time at the club and he has done so with reasonable success.
The 30-year-old has chipped in with some priceless goals in crucial games as well, with his brace against Barcelona helping Liverpool win their sixth Champions League title in 2019.
The Premier League champions want the midfielder to sign a new deal before the January transfer window and it will be interesting to see how the talks develop over the next few weeks.
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
