For much of last season, it seemed as if now-former Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum was going to go on and sign with Barcelona on a free transfer deal.
From the club’s rumored interest in him to the connection to former Netherlands national team and now-former Barca manager Ronald Koeman, all signs pointed to Wijnaldum signing with the La Liga side once the summer transfer window opened.
In the end, Wijnaldum snubbed Barca, as he opted to sign with Paris Saint-Germain on a three-year free transfer deal.
As noted by the Spanish-based outlet Mundo Deportivo, money was not the main reason as to why the Dutch international decided to sign with the Ligue 1 side over the Catalan powerhouse, as he was going to receive a mere €1 million less than what the latter had offered him.
Overall, Wijnaldum had simply grown “tired” of waiting for Barca to complete the deal. Skepticism had begun to circulate within the Barca board at the time on whether it should complete the free transfer signing for him.
At the time, Barca had faced a multitude of financial complications, including with the uncertainty over Lionel Messi’s future at the club.
As of late, the Dutch midfielder has been in the rumor mill over a possible departure. But as it stands, he is set to stay put with PSG for the remainder of the campaign.
