Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is likely to be monitoring the situation of Georginio Wijnaldum after he was left out of Paris Saint-Germain's pre-season tour of Japan.
The Dutch international midfielder left Anfield as a free agent after his contract at the club expired last summer but his spell in the French capital has been described as a 'nightmare'. Wijnaldum's exit from the Reds has not gone as planned and he even admitted last season that he was not "completely happy" in Paris following his transfer.
A French media outlet even harshly labelled him as the 'Ligue 1 Flop of the Year' while separate reports claimed that PSG's South American contingent – led by Lionel Messi – did not get along with Wijnaldum during the club's training session.
Wijnaldum started fewer than half of PSG's 38 Ligue 1 matches last season and netted just one domestic goal for Mauricio Pochettino's side. Furthermore, he did not feature in the club's Champions League knockout stages – as they were eliminated against Real Madrid.
The 31-year-old's diminishing status at the club has now been underlined by his missing out on the club's pre-season tour to the Far East. Christophe Galtier is the new PSG boss and this is the biggest indication yet that the former Newcastle midfielder does not feature in his plans.
Wijnaldum joined Liverpool in the first summer transfer window under Klopp – signed from Newcastle, who had just been relegated – and he became an instrumental member of the first team, making a total of 237 appearances for the Reds across five seasons – in which he bagged 22 goals.
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Klopp revealed back in October that the squad were "really missing" the midfielder: "Even when we prepare for an opponent like Chelsea, we look at our games against Chelsea and see Gini running around there. We still have to get used to that. It is not only on the pitch we miss him but we really, really miss him in the dressing room as well."
Wijnaldum, who helped the Reds to win Premier League and Champions League titles during his stint at Anfield, told reporters in late 2021: "I can't say I'm completely happy because the situation is not what I wanted. But that's football and I'll have to learn to deal with that. I'm a fighter. I have to stay positive and work hard to turn it around."
The arrival of midfielder Vitinha at PSG this summer alongside the anticipated signing of Renato Sanches from Lille would further limit Wijnaldum’s involvement and he is now widely expected to depart the Parc des Princes after just one season.
