Many Liverpool fans were disappointed at the loss of midfield talisman Gini Wijnaldum to Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer in July this year. The Dutchman was a popular figure at Anfield and was a key player in the club’s Premier League and Champions League victories.
However, Wijnaldum has found himself behind the likes of Marco Verratti and Idrissa Gueye in the Parisian pecking order. Sky Sports reported earlier this week that the Rotterdammer would be open to loan move back to the Premier League, with him telling Dutch news outlet NOS: “I can’t say I’m completely happy, because the situation is not what I wanted.”
On the latest episode of our Journo Insight Show, we asked Goal’s Neil Jones for his thoughts on a potential Merseyside return for Gini.
Neil said:
“Would Gini want to go? Gini made a point that he wasn’t appreciated, whether you agreed with him or not, he did make the point that he felt he was undervalued. He felt he got a lot of criticism off Liverpool fans for when results were bad. Would he want to come back?
I’m guessing one of the reasons he would go out on loan would be because he is not playing every game. He’s not going to play every game for Liverpool any more. I think Liverpool have got into the position where he wouldn’t play every game now even if he was here. I think he’ll stay at PSG. I think they would be mad to get rid of him in January on loan. If they don’t like him, then next summer they can spin a little profit on him. Letting him go in the middle of the season when they are going for the Champions League, and they are in a position where they think they could win it, would be madness.”
Redmen Reacts
Re-signing Gini on loan would be an appealing prospect for a lot of Liverpool fans. He would not need a long adjustment period and should be able to slot straight back into the side, given that he spent five years with Jurgen Klopp on the training pitch.
It feels as if the likelihood is that Jurgen would not want to come back in for Gini now he has said his goodbyes. Liverpool have been linked with Phillippe Coutinho many times since he left Anfield, without there ever being any solid interest from the club.
Liverpool’s midfield options looked bare after the injuries to Harvey Elliott and others, but the return to form of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and promotion of Tyler Morton mean there is now good cover. It seems unlikely that we’ll be seeing Gini donning the famous red shirt again.
