Duncan Castles has claimed that Gini Wijnaldum is set to join Barcelona at the end of the season, with a pre-contract agreement having been made.
The Dutchman has been long sought after by Ronald Koeman, who previously admitted his desire to bring his compatriot to Camp Nou in the prior summer window.
“Information I have from Barcelona is that the deal is now agreed,” the journalist told The Transfer Window podcast. “He has signed a pre-contract with the club and will be a Barcelona player in the summer.”
How will Wijnaldum’s potential departure affect Liverpool?
Given that the 30-year-old has played every single Premier League game for the Reds this season – a difficult feat considering our injury crisis – it’s clear how pivotal Jurgen Klopp perceives Wijnaldum to be.
On the plus side, we are parting ways with a player teetering on the edge of a decline, though the Dutch international’s departure will leave a sizeable gap in the squad and dressing room for the recruitment team to fill in the summer.
Though a new forward and centre-half have been deemed priorities in the upcoming window, we should not underestimate the former Newcastle star’s value to this Liverpool side, nor how important it will be for the club to adequately replace the reliable midfielder.
Rather this content was ad-free? EOTK PRO gives you exclusive LFC news to your inbox