According to a recent report by Tuttomercatoweb, Inter Milan are on the lookout for a new central midfielder and have identified Liverpool’s Georginio Wijnaldum, who is valued over €30m, as a potential target this summer. However, the Reds have decided to offer a new contract to the Dutch midfield ace whose current deal at Anfield expires at the end of next season (via Tuttomercatoweb). The same source has revealed that if Wijnaldum ends up penning a new contract, then a summer switch to the San Siro won’t be in the realms of possibility anymore.
Wijnaldum’s Sensational Campaign At Anfield
The 29-year-old has enjoyed one of the best seasons of his playing career after putting in several impressive displays at the heart of Jurgen Klopp’s midfield. He has formed a productive midfield partnership with Jordan Henderson, and his stellar form has kept the likes of Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Adam Lallana out of the Liverpool first-team for major spells of this campaign.
Wijnaldum has scored five goals in 38 appearances for the Merseyside giants this term across all competitions which goes to show that he started contributing by scoring a few essential goals for his side now and then. He has averaged 1.0 shots, 0.4 key passes and 1.2 dribbles in every 90 minutes of Premier League football (stats via whoscored).
To his credit, the Dutch midfielder’s numbers have slightly gone up in the UEFA Champions League where he averaged 1.1 shots, 0.9 key passes and 1.8 dribbles per game this season (stats via whoscored). However, his incredible contributions were not enough as the Reds were knocked out by Atletico Madrid before the football world came to a standstill because of the COVID-19 outbreak last month.
The former Feyenoord youth player has also excelled when representing the Netherlands while on international duty. He has found the back of the net on 15 occasions in 61 matches for the Dutch national side so far. We can expect Wijnaldum to play a crucial role for Ronald Koeman’s team in the UEFA European Championship which has been postponed until the summer of 2021.
What Are The Dutch Workhorse’s Best Attributes?
The Rotterdam-born talent loves to get on the ball and play some neat passes with others around him. He hardly loses possession for his team as he can use his body to shield the ball and create a few decent openings in the opposition half. Wijnaldum has also added some goals to his game this season which proves that he is still working hard on improving himself as a player under Klopp’s expert stewardship.
What makes the Dutch international such an important member of the Reds first-team is his ability to distribute the ball accurately as evidenced by his pass success rate of 90.9% in the English top-flight this season (stats via whoscored).
Why The Reds Cannot Afford To Sanction His Departure
Wijnaldum has helped Liverpool win the UEFA Champions League trophy last season and then, went on to secure a winner’s medal in the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup with the Merseysiders this term. Hence, Klopp cannot afford to let him go without at least making an effort to tie him up on a new deal. At the moment, it seems like both the player and the club can benefit from continuing their relationship beyond the summer of 2021 as Anfield braces itself for a period of sustained success under the watchful eyes of Klopp.
