The marriage between Georginio Wijnaldum and Paris Saint-Germain is not yet the marriage as the midfielder no doubt had envisioned it. The 31-year-old Dutchman, who surprised friend and foe last summer by leaving Barcelona at the last minute for a more lucrative offer from PSG, does not always enjoy complete confidence under Mauricio Pochettino and was even linked to a return in early December. the Premier League. Leaving Anfield turned out not to be Wijnaldum’s best move from a sporting point of view. Something that also happened to Philippe Coutinho in the past.
By Mart Oude Nijeweeme
Wijnaldum has only just settled in Paris for about five months, but is already faced with a diabolical dilemma. The midfielder has struggled to find his feet in the French capital, has never been particularly welcomed by his new team-mates and is even said to be open to a return to the Premier League. English media appeared in full at the beginning of December, when it turned out that Arsenal wanted to bring the Dutchman back to England on a rental basis. West Ham United and Newcastle United also fished for the services of Wijnaldum. It seems the dangers of leaving Liverpool.
Like Coutinho, Wijnaldum has also discovered in no time that the grass is not always greener on the neighbors. Okay, the controlling midfielder may earn an annual salary of about 9.5 million euros, in the sporting field it is anything but rosy. Wijnaldum has only appeared in nine of his sixteen Ligue 1 appearances this season. He is also not assured of his place in the Champions League. Of the five times he was allowed to participate in the billionaire ball, he did so three times in the base. How different it was at Liverpool. Wijnaldum became a crowd favorite at Anfield. Won with the Reds the Premier League and Champions League and was the ultimate team player. Versatile, can be used offensively and defensively and has scoring ability.
Wijnaldum scored important goals for Liverpool and was of value in the big games. Take that insane evening in May 2019. Liverpool seem to bow to Barcelona in the semi-final of the Champions League and go down 3-0 at the Camp Nou, only to perform the miracle of Anfield just a week later. Lionel Messi is shown red, Wijnaldum scores twice and sends Liverpool to the second consecutive Champions League final. It turned out to be the first time since 1986 that a Champions League semi-final was turned around in the return after trailing by three goals. Wijnaldum would make a total of 237 appearances in five years at Liverpool, more than anyone else in that period.
How different the world looks six months later. “This situation takes getting used to. It is different and that is difficult,” said a clearly dissatisfied Wijnaldum during a press conference in October. Wijnaldum was always assured of a starting spot at PSV, Newcastle United, Liverpool and the Dutch national team. “After my back injury in 2013 and 2014, I almost always played because I had few injuries and I think because I did well. I was really looking forward to this new step and then this happens,” he mused about his role as banker in the French capital. “But I’m a fighter and I’m going to do everything I can to turn this around.”
Paris Saint-Germain may be heading straight for the title and a chance to win the Champions League, but for Wijnaldum life is far from perfect in the Parc des Princes. Pochettino is under intense pressure and his team, a star ensemble that radiates individual quality, looks unbalanced and lacks any form of cohesion. PSG win its matches based on individual qualities, but fear the tough opponents in the knockout phase of the Champions League. The matches that Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar should show. Wijnaldum could also play a role in this, but despite his two goals against RB Leipzig and the late equalizer against RC Lens, his performance so far remains subpar.
Wijnaldum is mainly criticized in France for his reticence. The Dutchman would play ‘too safe’ and claim too little responsibility in the build-up. Reports from the French media saw in the first half of the season a player who looked slow both with and without the ball. “Apart from the fact that he struggles to play centrally, he lacks technique and has trouble understanding his team-mates. It is disappointing,” wrote journalist Cédric Rablat of Foot Mercato after the league win over FC Metz. Le Parisien already compared Wijnaldum’s performance to a ghost. “He beautifully played the part of Belphégor.” Belphégor is the name of the ghost of the Louvre, in a 1965 series.
There have also been times when Wijnaldum was openly replied by, among others, Messi and Mbappe. Wijnaldum was a great personality at Liverpool, was one of the four captains under Jürgen Klopp, but at PSG has experienced what it is like to settle in a world of cliques and without hospitality. Last week it was announced that internal tensions are increasing within the French superpower. So wrote L’Equipe that groups have formed in the dressing room, with Lionel Messi and Neymar on the one hand and the French-speaking players on the other, including Achraf Hakimi. In addition, the relationship between goalkeepers Gianluigi Donnarumma and Keylor Navas is said to be on the mend.
Wijnaldum has barely been able to feel the love of the Paris fans. Perhaps there is a lesson in that, given his words at his retirement as a Liverpool player. The Dutchman complained that he did not always feel loved and appreciated at Anfield, especially among the people who expressed their dissatisfaction via social media. “If we lost, I was the one to blame,” he told The Athletic. “Not my teammates, or the people at Melwood (the training complex, ed.). I know they love me and I love them. It was the other side. I got all the blame on social media. There were moments that I thought: wow they should know what I do to stay fit to play every game. Some players don’t take any risks in their senior year, but I gave everything.”
A key part of so many of our magical moments, @GWijnaldum ?? pic.twitter.com/mXJmglmDFf
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) June 10, 2021
Wijnaldum was eager to stay at Liverpool. The club made him several offers, but not to the wishes of the midfielder. There was also a lack of appreciation, he concluded. Negotiations for a new deal broke down and were not resumed. Wijnaldum served his contract in appalling circumstances, as captain of an injured team in closed-door matches. Struggling to get into the top four. PSG seemed the ideal move in that regard. Better than Barcelona, where he would go in the first place. Wijnaldum, selfless and consistent, was seen as the ideal player to balance Pochettino’s side with his reliability and experience at the highest level.
The latter could of course still happen. If nothing crazy happens, PSG will take the French title and will certainly play a significant role in the Champions League. Wijnaldum will undoubtedly have a role in this, although he will not be as prominent as in his years in the Premier League. Coutinho and Wijnaldum’s lessons should serve as a warning to those considering a future outside of Liverpool. After Anfield there seems to be only a way down these days.