Tony Cascarino has admitted that he was gutted to see Liverpool lose Georginio Wijnaldum earlier this month.
The Netherlands international left Liverpool on a free transfer and has joined Paris Saint-Germain.
Wijnaldum is thought to have wanted to stay at Anfield but the Reds’ hierarchy were not prepared to satisfy his contract requests.
The 30-year-old midfielder played a huge role in Liverpool winning the Champions League and Premier League under Jurgen Klopp in consecutive seasons.
He scored 16 Premier League goals in five years on Merseyside, and Cascarino isn’t sure Klopp got the very best out of him.
He told talkSPORT: “As a Liverpool fan I was gutted he left and I still don’t think we got the best out of him. That’s 25 [goals] for international matches and five years with Liverpool he managed 17. I think we missed a trick with Gini. He was tremendous, really gifted, great energy. A big loss, I really do feel that. He’s got the lot.”
Regret
It’s no secret that Liverpool have a bunch of midfielders ready to step in to replace Wijnaldum, like Naby Keita or Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
But truthfully, the Reds will regret not giving the player what he wants.
Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain are unreliable due to their injury history and even without that, neither are as effective as the former Newcastle United midfielder.
Players like Wijnaldum don’t come along often enough to justify Liverpool releasing him.
There’s a reason he’s at PSG now and it’s because he’s a fine player and one who the Anfield club’s hierarchy may regret not keeping.
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