Wijnaldum pressing Liverpool to force through Barça transfer
The Dutch midfielder is back in England after playing for Holland this week
Gini Wijnaldum's desire to move to Barcelona is proving key to his chances of leaving Liverpool. The midfielder is excited by the chance to reunited with Ronald Koeman at Camp Nou but talks have stalled. Barça can't afford to make a big investement on a player in the final year of his deal, while Liverpool want to make as much as possible, as you would expect.
The Premier League side want 17 million euros, an amount that Barça feel is excessive for someone who will be 30 in November and from January can negotiate for free with any club in the world. Liverpool, though, point out that Wijnaldum is an important player for coach Jurgen Klopp and they don't want to lose him for a cheap fee.
Broken renewal
The relationship between the Reds and the player is not enjoying its best moment after talks over a new deal bork down. Wijnaldum wants to play for Barça and it's time to make his case.
The Dutch international returned to England on Tuesday following his participation in the UEFA Nations League with his country. He is an important player for the national team -- where he previously played under Koeman -- and that's another reason why Liverpool believe he should still command a decent price.
Debut vs. Leeds
Wijnaldum's intention is to clarify his future before the weekend when Liverpool kick off the campaign against Leeds United. Klopp's side are defending their crown after a brilliant season but haven't strengthened over the summer. The only arrival is Greek full-back Timiskas from Olympiacos as backup to Andrew Robertson.
Liverpool have instead opted to be prudent given the financial uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic. For example, they pulled out of the race for Timo Werner, who Klopp wanted, and the German signed for Chelsea for 54 million euros.
Thiago Alcántara
More evidence of that prudency comes in the form of Thiago Alcantara. Bayern want 30 million euros for the midfielder, who like Wijnaldum is out of contract in 2021, but Liverpool have not yet been able to agree a fee with the German champions despite the player's desire to come and Klopp's eagerness to bring him in.
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