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According to the Mirror, Georginio Wijnaldum will leave Liverpool at the end of the season after being seduced by Barcelona’s advances.
The Netherlands international is keen to follow in the footsteps of Dutch legends such as Johan Cruyff, Frank Rijkaard, and the man who will be his new boss, Ronald Koeman.
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Dutch sources tell the Mirror that Barcelona has always been an attraction for the £75,000-a-week Liverpool maestro, and that it is his ultimate destination.
These sources compare his situation to that of Gareth Bale when he left Tottenham for Real Madrid in 2013, as joining Los Blancos was also the Welshman’s ultimate desire.
“Barcelona has always been a big draw for him. It’s a similar situation to when Gareth Bale left Tottenham for Real Madrid in that it is his ultimate destination.”
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The Mirror say that Liverpool are anxious to keep him, but Wijnaldum will reject the Reds’ last-ditch attempts to keep him at Anfield.
Significantly, this news signals the end of the 30-year-old lengthy stint on Merseyside.
When this campaign comes to an end, it will signal five years at Anfield for the former PSV Eindhoven man, who Liverpool paid £25 million for in July 2016.
Currently, Wijnaldum has made 211 appearances for Liverpool.
He will go down in folklore for his crucial brace against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final, which helped Liverpool go on to lift the famous trophy.
In other news, 'Reminds me of Sadio Mane': Coach hails £23m star who rejected Liverpool in 2020