Rome interested in Georginio Wijnaldum
Following Paulo Dybala, Georginio Wijnaldum could be another football star to reinforce the UEFA Conference League champions’ squad in the upcoming season, as the Italian club are interested in signing the Dutch international on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, according to the Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport.
“Wijnaldum was offered last week by PSG, which has to get rid of some heavy engagements to realign itself to the parameters of Financial Fair Play,” explained Guido D’Ubaldo, Corriere Dello Sport reporter.
It is said that Thomas Friedkin, Rome’s president, and Al-Khelaifi, PSG’s president, had a conversation where the president of the Ligue 1 champions offered players who are no longer wanted by the French club and Rome’s manager decided to pursue Wijnaldum’s signing following Jose Mourinho’s approval.
The negotiations between Roma and PSG have not officially begun, but it is stated that the Italian club’s idea is to have the Dutchman coming on loan from PSG, with a possible buy option of €15million. The director staff understands that the French club would have to pay half of the player’s salary, as Wijnaldum earns €9 million per year, which could complicate the deal between the two teams.
Even though the midfielder’s high salary can be an obstacle to finalizing the deal, it’s also reported that the two clubs have an excellent political relationship, which became stronger after the Italian club refused to play the Trophy Joan Gamper against Barcelona in August. A matter that could play an important role in negotiations.
According to the Italian outlet, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, PSG’s president, asked Roma not to participate in FC Barcelona’s tournament arguing that the Catalonian club is one of the clubs that are part of the Superliga project.
The 31-year-old midfielder will attempt to regain his confidence after a bad season representing the club from Paris. He arrived in France for free last summer after five successful seasons representing Liverpool FC, where he won one UEFA Champions League, one Premier League, one UEFA Supercup and one FIFA Club World Cup.
Despite all the expectations PSG fans had regarding the 2019 UEFA Champions League winner, the Dutchman did not perform to the level of football he showcased in Liverpool and started most of the games from the bench. In 38 matches, he scored three goals, gave three assists and won the Ligue 1 title.
For the 2022/2023 season, the midfielder has been already informed that he is not likely to be used by Christophe Galtier, PSG’s new head coach, as he is one out of the 11 players who are part of the club’s transfer list.
-Matheus Teles
Photo: Dom Fellowes. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.