Not replacing Gini Wijnaldum has eventually taken its toll on Liverpool
When Georginio Wijnaldum departed Anfield in 2021, he was given a hero’s farewell on the final day of the season. A popular member of the dressing room and a crucial figure in so many of Liverpool’s big moments, the Dutchman was one of Jurgen Klopp’s first key signings when he arrived from relegated Newcastle, and a regular in the starting line-up having transitioned from a creative winger to an industrious midfielder. Yet, Liverpool failed to renew his contact and he joined Paris Saint Germain for free.
The less said about Wijnaldum’s time in Paris the better, but the underlining issue in his departure from Liverpool is simply how unprepared the club was. While the now 32-year-old has expressed his gratitude for the club, some fans felt his lack of end product, managing just 16 goals in five years, was a concern. However, they failed to understand his role in the side.
Wijnaldum’s tenacious running and availability, having rarely been injured throughout his entire time on Merseyside, made him an ever present in centre-midfield, but only now Liverpool are rueing their errors, and their stock in the football betting markets have plummeted as a consequence.
In the last four years the Reds have signed just one midfielder. While Harvey Elliott also moved into a central role, he arrived initially as a forward, making Thiago the lone signing in the middle of the park since the Reds won the Champions League in Madrid. The Spaniard is a delight to watch, spraying passes around the pitch with a unique aesthetic and flair, but his running stats pale in comparison to Wijnaldum’s.
That wasn’t an issue last season, as Klopp managed to retain his heavy metal football due to the productivity of his forwards, but as Jamie Carragher put brilliantly after their recent defeat to Brentford, Liverpool are slowly moving away from that intensity that defined them for so long, and now need the personnel to come and suit their more possession-based philosophy.
“I feel like we are watching Jurgen Klopp when he first came to the club,” he said. “In the first couple of the seasons, that was always the problem, someone would sit deep and then counter on them.
“But I don’t know what’s happened in terms of midfield. Liverpool haven’t bought a midfield player - well one player, Thiago - in four years and it’s coming back to haunt them now. And when I watch Liverpool now, it feels like Jurgen Klopp’s team is morphing into a technical team.”
With the likes of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Naby Keita entering their 30s, you certainly think Klopp will need Fenway Sports Group to loosen the purse strings and invest in some more midfielders throughout the summer. Cody Gakpo arrived in December and that solves the short-term goal drought, but having failed to secure Matheus Nunes or Aurélien Tchouaméni, the Reds once again left themselves short and it has ruined their Premier League title odds even before the business end of the season.
Liverpool seem to be the front runners for Jude Bellingham’s signature, but the England international will command a heavy price tag. It will be interesting to see if Klopp makes one more marquee signing before his time is up at Anfield, but his side will need to show immediate consistency if they are to earn the pulling power of Champions League football again next season.
