According to Sky Sports, Barcelona have yet to make a bid for Georginio Wijnaldum, despite admiration for him by Ronald Koeman.
Koeman managed him during his stint in charge of The Netherlands and they are said to have a close relationship.
Georginio Wijnaldum Yet to Be approached by Barcelona
Koeman’s Overhaul
A week prior to Koeman’s appointment, Barcelona were hammered 8-2 by Bayern Munich. This would eventually see the end of Quique Setién as manager.
By taking up the position, Koeman has become Barcelona’s third manager in 2020 with the Catalan giants in desperate need of a rebuild.
This rebuild may have every player fearing for their place, however, with president Josep Maria Bartomeu suggesting that all but seven players are up for sell.
Speaking to Barca TV, Bartomeu said: “Who’s not for sell? Leo Messi. He knows that. He’s the best player in the world.
“We’d also be talking about [Marc-Andre] ter Stegen, [Nelson] Semedo, [Frenkie] de Jong, [Clement] Lenglet, [Ousmane] Dembele and [Antoine] Griezmann too.”
Despite not mentioning Ansu Fati in this list, it has previously been made clear that he wouldn’t be leaving.
Players going out means players must come in. If this overhaul was to happen, expect to see Barcelona go big this summer.
Wijnaldum’s Contract
The Dutch international has spent the last four years at Liverpool. He joined after being relegated with Newcastle United and has gone on to play in 186 games for the club.
However, his contract comes to an end next summer and he has yet to enter discussions over a new deal.
Although it’s fair to say he has a lot of love for Liverpool, with no extension in place, if Barcelona do come in, it would be hard to turn them down.
Melissa Reddy of The Independent echoes this, too. She said that the Dutch international has not dismissed taking on a new challenge and it wouldn’t be a far fetched scenario to see the player agree a pre-contract with Barcelona or another team in January.
Less Opportunities for Wijnaldum If Thiago Joins
Wijnaldum played a big part in helping his team capture the Premier League title for the first time last season.
However, with depth in the midfield not a problem for Liverpool, and rumours that Klopp is still looking to add to it, despite the aforementioned depth, with the signing of Thiago Alcântara, it could mean less game time for Wijnaldum next season.
With that, and his contract expiring next season, Liverpool could decide to sell the Dutchman before he can speak to clubs and sign a pre-contract agreement in January. In either case, expect his name to be linked with Barcelona as they look to overhaul their squad.
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