Bayern Munich is looking to add more quality and depth in the midfield department this summer. After the departure of Javi Martinez, they have lost one more midfield player and experience in the squad. As things stand, it does look like Liverpool midfielder Gini Wijnaldum is likely to fill this void.
According to Sky Sports in Germany, Die Roten is holding talks with Gini Wijnaldum regarding a summer move. The German champions will not have to pay a fee for the Dutch international since his contract at Liverpool expires at the end of June. He bid farewell to Liverpool supporters on Sunday during the final league game of the season against Crystal Palace.
Wijnaldum has been a key player for Liverpool ever since joining them from Newcastle United in 2016. He has been an important player for Jurgen Klopp during the Premier League and Champions League campaigns in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
Klopp and Liverpool were eager to extend Wijnaldum’s stay at Merseyside. They had been in talks with him during the last 12 months but couldn’t reach an agreement over a new deal. There was strong interest from FC Barcelona last summer. However, the Dutch international decided to stay at Liverpool despite the arrival of Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich.
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Sky Sports also insist that Die Roten will have to pay hefty wages to Wijnaldum since he will be subject to a lot of interest. The Dutchman could also command a good signing on bonus. The German champions will have to make sure that the wage structure doesn’t get disrupted while handing a contract to Wijnaldum.
Wijnaldum can operate in all three midfield positions. However, his qualities are best utilised as a number eight and ten. For Liverpool, he was used as a number eight, where he had to keep the play ticking in the park and press aggressively off the ball. For Klopp’s team, Wijnaldum also came up with big goals from midfield.
Meanwhile, the Dutch national team used him as a number ten. The 30-year-old midfield boasts a good goalscoring record as a number ten. Moreover, Wijnaldum also boasts a good fitness record, playing the majority of games every season. At Die Roten, he is likely to be used in midfield pivot since Thomas Muller excels in the number ten position.
There is no doubt that Wijnaldum will add quality to the current squad at Bayern. However, a younger midfielder would have been much more suited to Rekordmeister. Nevertheless, Wijnaldum will definitely help the team with his experience and quality in the immediate future.