Jurgen Klopp admission speaks volumes after Liverpool lost "perfect midfielder"
In English football, it seems as if some transfer sagas never end.
One such is Liverpool's pursuit of a new central midfielder, a problem that has stalked Jurgen Klopp since he admitted their need to bolster that department last August. Jude Bellingham's name has been rumoured - as has Moises Caicedo's - but did Klopp actually let the "perfect midfielder" slip through his fingers in the summer of 2021?
That is when Georginio Wijnaldum's five-year spell at Liverpool came to end. The Dutchman, 32, left Merseyside once his contract expired to join Paris Saint-Germain, later moving to Roma on loan. Liverpool's midfield has never been the same since.
Wijnaldum was a stalwart for Liverpool. He was signed from Newcastle as an advanced midfielder in the summer of 2016, but Klopp deployed him in a central role at Anfield.
The Netherlands international went on to play 237 games during the next five years - missing just 11 Premier League fixtures during that time. He was also at the heart of Liverpool's midfield when they defeated Tottenham in the 2019 Champions League final.
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As well as lifting that famous trophy, Wijnaldum also won the Premier League title, European Super Cup and Club World Cup during his spell on Merseyside. The likes of Alisson, Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Fabinho and Jordan Henderson are credited for those triumphs - but Wijnaldum's contribution was just as important.
Jurgen Klopp's side have struggled since Georginio Wijnaldum's exit (Getty Images)Who do you think Liverpool should sign? Let us know in the comments below!
And perhaps that is forgotten. After all, Liverpool did not struggle without Wijnaldum last season. They won the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, and they reached the Champions League final in Paris - where they lost 1-0 to Real Madrid. Furthermore, Klopp's side finished just a point behind Manchester City in the Premier League title race.
Wijnaldum, meanwhile, struggled at PSG. Although he played 38 games for the French giants and lifted the Ligue 1 title, he was never adored by PSG supporters. He went on to join Roma last summer and, with hindsight, it is strange that Liverpool did not re-sign him.
Klopp's appreciation of Wijnaldum was apparent at a press conference in August 2021. He told reporters: "Gini was the most consistently available player. I loved his way of playing and how reliable he was. But he's not here anymore."
Klopp went one further after Wijnaldum's move to Roma. He said last August: "It is not my fault if he goes under the radar. Gini speaks on the pitch with the way he plays.
"He is the perfect midfielder. He has all the things you need: both directions, small spaces, big spaces, hard challenges, fine football, all of that. Gini is a good personality in the dressing room. He is not the guy who says yes to everything."
Wijnaldum's time at Roma has not gone to plan, as he suffered a broken leg last August. That is irrelevant, though, because he would not have suffered the injury if he had re-joined Liverpool instead.
Klopp's pursuit of a new central midfielder will not end in January, nor will it be cheap. Yet his previous comments about Wijnaldum - as well as the Dutchman's contribution to his side - speak volumes about Liverpool's failure to keep him on board.
Wijnaldum should have stayed at Liverpool. But even if Klopp could not stop him from joining PSG, he should have made a beeline to bring the "perfect midfielder" back to the club last summer. Right now, Liverpool could do with a player like Wijnaldum.
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