Gini Wijnaldum to Bayern Munich talks have apparently been going on for some time
Jurgen remains coy over the Dutchman's future. But it's pretty much certain at this point that Gini will be wearing different colours next season.
Gini Wijnaldum’s days at Liverpool are numbered, or so we keep being told.
That’s not to say we’re expecting a sudden change of mind from the Dutchman, whose contract is set to expire come the season end, no matter how coy Jurgen Klopp remains over his Anfield future.
“Well there is, in the moment, nothing really to say about [it] because we have a game to play,” the German told reporters during his pre-match presser. “We will see about all these things Sunday or the time after that. Nothing else to say.”
Though the No.5 had long been linked with a move to Barcelona to be reunited with former Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman, it would appear that a different pathway has opened up for the player.
It would be almost poetic for Wijnaldum to link up with inbound manager Julian Nagelsmann at Bayern Munich, a club from which we nabbed one of its (if not the) star players only last summer.
We’ve all gone through several stages of grief as Liverpool fans in light of what would appear to be an almost inevitable switch.
Why would he leave a side that has won both the Premier League and Champions League in the last three seasons?
Ahhhh, he can’t be that good can he? What does he actually do for this Liverpool side?
Good riddance, I say, good riddance!
The reality, at least as far as we at the Empire of the Kop are concerned, is that he will be missed, and there are certainly no hard feelings over his departure on our end, considering how much the Dutch international has given to Klopp’s men over the years.
That all being said, as we approach what looks to be a pivotal summer window - perhaps our most important yet - we cannot afford to underestimate the hole Wijnaldum’s likely exit will leave behind.
We’re not just losing a sense of robustness in midfield, we’re looking at a future where there’s no in-between man - that vital, yet easily overlooked, role which adds balance to our operations in the middle of the park.
For a player some are quick to dismiss, it’s difficult to think of many other players who would easily slip into the Dutchman’s shoes.
Brighton’s Yves Bissouma is a name consistently linked with Liverpool and looks, at this current point in time, a likely solution for the recruitment team to explore.
Alternatively, some have thrown caution to the wind and nominated Academy graduate Curtis Jones as Wijnaldum’s heir. Having enjoyed a promising start to the season when called upon, there have certainly been hints of Klopp’s intentions with regard to the young Englishman in terms of his reservedness of play.
Given the 20-year-old’s natural inclination is to make more advanced runs, however, there is an element of frustration around how he has been utilised at times this season.
But we’re getting sidetracked…
When it comes down to it, regardless of how much of a priority we view the forward line, we cannot hope to ignore the necessity of appropriately replacing our outbound midfielder.