Gini Wijnaldum has completed his switch to Paris Saint-Germain after he ran out his contract with Liverpool, with the Dutchman now to ply his trade in Ligue 1.
The 30-year-old bids farewell to the Reds after five years, 237 appearances and four honours having made the move to Anfield in 2016 from Newcastle in a £25 million deal.
Wijnaldum has been a figure of consistency for Jurgen Klopp‘s side, a reliable figure who missed just 29 of the 265 games played since his arrival.
A popular figure among his teammates and the fans, Wijnaldum’s departure has proved emotional for many and it was fortunate that 10,000 Reds were able to give him the send-off he deserved.
He had alluded to a desire to remain at Anfield but with no agreement reached between all parties it was time to move on, and he left with a glowing endorsement from Klopp.
“Each club who is interested in him, if you call me and ask about him, then you will take him definitely, because I couldn’t be more positive about what he did here,” Klopp said.
“It’s incredible. He was not only always available, he played 90 percent of the time really, really good.”
Wijnaldum attracted interest from the likes of Bayern Munich and Barcelona, among others, but has settled on a future with PSG.
A move to Camp Nou had looked certain to link up with his former international manager Ronald Koeman, but he is now to work alongside ex-Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino, signing until 2024.
It will see him work alongside the likes of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Marquinhos and he could be deployed in a more advanced role than we have grown accustomed to at Liverpool.
On his move, Wijnaldum said, “Signing for Paris Saint-Germain is a new challenge for me.
“I’m joining one of the best squads in Europe and I want to bring all my desire and commitment to this ambitious project. Paris Saint-Germain have proved how good they are in recent years and I am convinced that together, with our supporters, we can go even further and higher.”
Good luck, Gini!
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