Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman said financial reasons were the key factor behind Georginio Wijnaldum’s call to join Paris Saint-Germain as a free transfer.
PSG made a late push to sign Wijnaldum to a multiyear agreement. Barca had been the frontrunner to complete a free transfer deal with the Dutch talent, but in the end, he elected to take up PSG’s offer instead.
Wijnaldum recently noted that it was not only PSG’s more lucrative offer that convinced him to sign with the Ligue 1 giants over Barca but also the side’s pitch about its intriguing sporting project as well.
For Koeman, he hinted that PSG coming in with a higher offer was the main reason as to why club officials failed to finalize a deal with the former Premier League winner. The Barca manager provided his take on the transfer saga in speaking to the Dutch-based outlet Voetbal International.
“That also had to do with the [financial] situation at Barcelona,” Koeman explained. “Another party has intervened. I talked to Gini about it, and it was up to him to make the choice.”
Wijnaldum joins PSG as the club’s first signing of the upcoming summer transfer window.
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