Surprising reports out of Liverpool emerged this week that midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum may be on his way out during this summer transfer window. The Dutchman is reportedly worried that he may not see regular first-team football with so many other midfielders in the fold, which may cause him to seek a move.
Emre Can’s departure for Italy opened up a spot, but the Reds filled that vacancy by bringing Naby Keita over from RB Leipzig and Fabinho from Monaco. Liverpool are also reportedly interested in adding more midfield depth as the summer progresses, which puts Wijnaldum’s standing within the team into question.
That said, it sounds as though there are plenty of roadblocks preventing a potential move. Per the odds, Wijnaldum is incredibly unlikely to begin next season anywhere but Liverpool. Finding the right football bet with favorable odds is key, but betting on Wijnaldum to leave this summer would be a fool’s errand. The Reds are currently 1/10 favorites to keep the 27-year-old into the start of the upcoming campaign.
Still, if Wijnaldum is to leave, might one of his old clubs be a potential destination? Turkish media suggest that Fenerbahce have some interest in luring the midfielder to Turkey, but might Newcastle submit a bid of their own? Offering Wijnaldum the chance to stay in England would reportedly boost Newcastle’s chances in any pursuit of the player, and the English club would likely also be able to pay him what he wants.
Rafa Benitez’ club have already reportedly submitted an opening bid to gauge Liverpool’s interest in selling the potentially disgruntled midfielder. Wijnaldum saw his role diminished in his second season on Merseyside, though he did factor into the latter stages of Liverpool’s Champions League run with both Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Emre Can dealing with injuries.
That said, there has been no confirmation that Liverpool have any interest in selling Wijnaldum in the first place. With Champions League and other cup competitions in addition to league play, Jurgen Klopp will need to shuffle players in-and-out of the lineup on a consistent basis in order to keep everybody fresh. Wijnaldum will still surely see a good amount of first-team football, even if he isn’t a regular starter in the Premier League.
Wijnaldum’s potential departure may hinge on whether the Reds look to add any more midfielders before the window shuts. Their initial overtures to snag Lyon’s Nabil Fekir fell through, but there have been recent media reports that suggest Liverpool could renew their interest once Fekir returns from World Cup duty with France. The player and his French side will do battle with Dejan Lovren and Croatia in Sunday’s final.
If Wijnaldum were to join Fenerbahce, he would be reunited with old coach Philip Cocu. The two were together at Dutch side PSV Eindhoven before Wijnaldum moved to England.
Two summers ago, Newcastle sold the rights to Wijnaldum to Liverpool for £25 million. Given the player’s irregular role with the Reds last season, one would imagine his price tag hasn’t gone up since. He still made 50 appearances in all competitions, but he struggled with his form at times.
It may also be tough for Newcastle to find the funds to buy Wijnaldum. The player currently makes quite a bit more in wages than Newcastle’s current top earner, Jonjo Shelvey. Benitez is working with a rather tight budget during this particular window, which will make a splashy signing all the more unlikely. Newcastle have already signed Martin Dubravka, Ki Sung-yueng and Kenedy since the window opened.