Arsenal are the ‘frontrunners’ to bring PSG’s Gini Wijnaldum back to the Premier League with The Telegraph reporting that the Newcastle United target wants to live in London.
It’s a move that hasn’t really worked out for anyone involved.
Wijnaldum, just seven months after heading across the Channel, is already unsettled at Paris Saint-Germain.
Nobody played more games for Liverpool than the Dutchman in 2020/21. In France, he’s started just half of PSG’s 21 Ligue 1 matches. No wonder his feet are feeling a little itchy.
As for Liverpool, well there’s been plenty of occasions this season when Jurgen Klopp must have wished he could turn to Wijnaldum’s remarkable versatility, his seemingly limitless energy reserves.
If Liverpool could turn back the clock, one wonders whether their American owners would make a different decision, having refused at the time to meet Wijnaldum’s contract demands.
Remember, it was Liverpool who pushed the 2019 Champions League winner out the door, much to his disappointment. This was not a departure of Wijnaldum’s own making.
“Gini’s character is out of the question,” Klopp said ahead of his summer exit (Daily Mail).
“He’s a sensational guy.”
Will Gini Wijnaldum leave PSG for Arsenal?
Some at Anfield would welcome Wijnaldum back to Anfield with open arms.
Should he return to England, however, The Telegraph believe that Arsenal is the most likely destination as things stand. Wijnaldum wants to live in London after all.
That scuppers any hopes Newcastle had of luring the one-time PSV Eindhoven skipper back to Tyneside.
According to the Northern Echo, Wijnaldum wants to join a club battling for titles rather than battling relegation, having become accustomed to the sweet taste of champagne during a trophy-laden spell on Merseyside.
Newcastle, despite their nouveau-riche status, have found it difficult to bring in reinforcements this month. Their Premier League status is on the line after all.
It’s not certain whether Arsenal see Wijnaldum as an alternative to their number one target, Juventus playmaker Arthur Melo.
There may be room for both at the Emirates, especially following Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ move to Roma.
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