Liverpool have held ‘positive talks’ with midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum for a contract extension until 2024, according to The Guardian.
The extension is expected to last until 2024 or 2025 with 'wages not expected to be a stumbling block'.
The Dutchman has been an extremely important player for Jurgen Klopp’s re-build at Anfield.
Wijnaldum signed for Liverpool in 2016 from Newcastle after a positive season on Tyneside.
Why Gini is so important
Klopp changed Wijnaldum’s position from an attacking left-sided midfielder to a more defensive midfielder, with Wijnaldum playing in the ‘six’ position.
Though this has made is more difficult to track Wijnaldum’s contribution to the team, with the Dutchman not scoring or assisting too often, his importance to the team cannot be questioned.
Klopp values him a lot and is often one of the first players on the team sheet.
His dynamic style allows him to play both the holding role and the box-to-box role within the midfield. His partnership and rotation with Jordan Henderson for both of these roles in the midfield gives a nice balance to the midfield.
Wijnaldum is a very hardworking player on the pitch and fantastic at recovering to stop a counter-attack.
His hard work and physical stature has allowed him to hold off competition from Naby Keita for a position in the midfield and he is often partnered with Henderson and Fabinho.
Wijnaldum is a heavily underrated player and would be missed should talks for a contract extension fail. This however, is not expected, with Klopp reassuring him that his position within the team is safe.
With James Milner now 34 years old, Klopp will look for Wijnaldum to take more of a leadership role within the team. This is something that Wijnaldum has already begun to do.
Goal scoring return not a cause for concern
As already mentioned, Wijnaldum does not score too many goals.
His best scoring season for the Reds was his first in the 2016/17 season. He scored six goals and provided nine assists in 36 Premier League games.
One of his most important goals came in the final game of that season against Middleborough. He scored the opening goal in a 3-0 win, which saw Liverpool qualify for the Champions League that season.
His best return in the Premier League stands at three goals (2018/19 and 2019/20 so far).
However, it is his two goals in Liverpool’s 2018/19 Champions League campaign that will go down in history.
Wijnaldum came on as a substitute in the second half in the second leg of the semi-final against Barcelona. His two-minute double was pivotal in the comeback against the Spanish giants.
Liverpool went on to win the Champions League in Madrid and haven’t looked back since.
Wijnaldum has proved that he knows where the net is. For Newcastle, he scored 11 league goals in 38 games and is a prolific scorer in international football.
For the Netherlands in UEFA Euro qualifying, Wijnaldum has scored 11 goals in 16 games. This impressive record is a testament to the quality that he possesses.
For the Netherlands he plays higher up the pitch, and is able to play an attacking role in the team.
Though this is something he doesn’t do for Liverpool, there is no doubting his talent.