Pundit drops Wijnaldum return claim

Liverpool won’t bring Gini Wijnaldum back this summer and will instead wait to sign a younger midfielder, according to former Premier League striker Noel Whelan.

The Lowdown: Wijnaldum linked with shock return

A midfielder is reportedly on the Reds’ wish-list currently, with several players in that department now in their 30s and fresh blood required at some point in the next 12 months.

Wijnaldum has recently been linked with a surprise return to Anfield after a disappointing first season at Paris Saint-Germain, with a loan move back to Merseyside seemingly a possibility.

The 31-year-old enjoyed five superb years at Liverpool between 2016 and 2021, winning the Champions League and Premier League, being hailed as ‘sensational’ by Jurgen Klopp.

The Latest: Whelan laughs off rumour

Speaking to Football Insider, 47 year-old Whelan, former Leeds United front man turned club ambassador, claimed he can’t see the move happening, with younger midfielders arriving instead:

“If you ask the majority of Liverpool fans, they’d probably want him back.

“When it comes down to manager and the logistics of everything, it’s very hard to bring a player back so soon after they’ve left. Once you’ve made that decision, you’ve got to stick to that decision.

“He’s a fantastic player and he’d be a stop-gap, that’s all he would be. Liverpool need a more solid base when it comes to that midfield player that comes in. Someone with a bit of longevity.

“I think they are doing the right thing by biding their time and waiting for the right people to become available and go into the club for years and not just one season.”

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The Verdict: Seems highly unlikely

Wijnaldum was a fantastic servant for Liverpool for five years, making 237 appearances and proving to be such a key man in the middle of the park, but it is hard to see this move happening.

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At 31, the Dutchman is in a similar boat to James Milner, Thiago and Jordan Henderson in terms of age, and signing him would arguably feel too short-term and desperate.

It may simply be that Klopp is happy to wait a year before signing someone like heavily linked Jude Bellingham, showing faith in his current midfielders, including young pair Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott.