Former Liverpool midfielder Steve McManaman isn’t optimistic about Georginio Wijnaldum returning to Anfield this summer and believes the Reds need to ‘start planning’ for a marquee midfield addition next year.
Wijnaldum has been linked with a loan move from Paris Saint-Germain after a difficult season in the French capital. The Dutchman made 237 appearances and scored 22 goals from 2016 to 2021 while at Liverpool before rejecting a contract extension at the club and signing for the French champions. However, McManaman wasn’t confident that the Reds could pull off the deal and believes Wijnaldum made the wrong decision by leaving Anfield.
“Regarding a potential Georginio Wijnaldum return, I presume the reason he left is that he was getting a big pay packet from Paris Saint-Germain,” he told Horseracing.net. “I don't know whether that will be doable for him to come back to Liverpool and take a pay cut. I’m not even sure what would happen.
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“I was very complimentary about him last year when he was leaving as I think he’s a great player, he played in every game. This hasn’t been the right move for him. PSG, as I've mentioned previously, are a very strange club. They brought in five players on a free contract last season that caused chaos within the squad, so I don’t know whether he wants to leave and come back. I still trust him as a player and I still think he’s a great player.”
After the captures of Darwin Nunez, Calvin Ramsay and Fabio Carvalho, Liverpool are reportedly done for their incoming summer business. However, they continue to be linked with midfielders and are expected to prioritise this position next summer. This is all the more pertinent with Jordan Henderson and James Milner on the wrong side of 30 and Naby Keita’s contract up at the end of next season. And McManaman spoke about Liverpool’s succession planning.
He said: “As for a marquee midfield signing next year, who knows? There’s talk about Nicolo Barella and there’s talk about Jude Bellingham because he’s a young Englishman. Two players that I’ve spoken about very highly are Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips, but I don’t know whether Liverpool needs that type of player because they already have Fabinho and Jordan Henderson.
“I think they will need a midfielder possibly next year and I think it’s right to start planning for that signing as James Milner is getting older and Jordan Henderson is getting older too. They have to start looking at those positions.”
