Georginio 'Gini' Wijnaldum - The Dutch Lion

After having been linked with him for what feels like a decade...it takes the saviour Klopp to finally bring him home.

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11669/10507871/liverpool-agree-16325m-transfer-fee-for-newcastles-georginio-wijnaldum

Liverpool have agreed a deal in the region of £25m with Newcastle United for midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, according to Sky sources.

Wijnaldum, who has 30 international caps for the Netherlands, will travel to Anfield on Thursday for a medical which is expected to last two days.

Liverpool have offered Wijnaldum a five-year deal with the 25-year-old making his last appearance for Newcastle in their 2-2 draw with Doncaster Rovers on Wednesday night.

Looking forward to the energy, close control, speed and composure that he'll bring to the midfield/am strata. Have always wanted him here and he's been a very good to great player with every club he's played for (including the NT) and on top of it he's still young with potential that Klopp can groom for Liverpool and the Netherlands.

One of my favourite signings in recent memory, if ever, mostly because I've watched him since he was a teenager and he's always been a favourite of mine.

GET IN GINI

Also of note...the teams he scored and/or assists against last season?

Southampton, Chelsea, Manchester City, Norwich, Bournemouth, Liverpool, Manchester United, West Ham, Sunderland and Tottenham.

Pretty impressive, IMO, he's always stepped up against top competition.

Welcome to Liverpool

Hope you aren't/haven't jinxed it. No one has signed the proverbial dotted-line yet .

Another signing from the Mané category.

25m and 75k a week and replacing Allen in the squad. As long as Klopp finds a way to keep them all happy.

That touch at 2:30 though...

Putting in some good defensive work, driving the play forward a lot and clinical of course for his goal.

One thing that should stand out that a lot of our players have lacked of late is that he can control the ball in tight spaces and make some really nice one touch passes.

Getting more hyped about this signing. Please just make it official already.

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11096/10509261/why-liverpool-and-georginio-wijnaldum-are-a-good-fit

A frustrated Jurgen Klopp had little appetite to dwell on the details in the immediate aftermath of the defeat, but Wijnaldum's display evidently made a lasting impression. In hindsight, it's obvious why. As well as producing the game's decisive moments, the 25-year-old ran further (11.9km), made more sprints (71) and won possession (12) more times than any of his team-mates.

Industry and cutting edge. These, of course, are the traits Klopp values most highly. Newcastle supporters would argue that Wijnaldum didn't meet those standards often enough, but only three Liverpool players covered more distance per game than Wijnaldum last season, and Klopp has seen first-hand what he can do in a high-intensity, high-pressing system.

GET IN

I will be firmly rooting for Liverpool this season. Hope a top 4 finish can be in the cards, though it remains a tough ask.

I love you again Hans, a new season with new beginnings.

Let's be positive!! You've got a great coach and a good team!! It's sad that Allen is gone but he deserves to play!! Grujic looks a tank!! You can't attract world class players but Kloppo was always going to bank on team work and building up!! Now only Moreno is a problem but then who cares, let's leave it to the professionals!!

Hapless_Hans wrote:GET IN

I will be firmly rooting for Liverpool this season. Hope a top 4 finish can be in the cards, though it remains a tough ask.

you like GW then hans. I thought you would call him a scrub tbh.

Yeah I like him why not. Surely he has more quality than Grosskreutz, and I've seen what Klopp has done with players of Grosskreutz quality.

No need to moan and *bleep* about. Time to GET IN.

Hapless_Hans wrote:Yeah I like him why not. Surely he has more quality than Grosskreutz, and I've seen what Klopp has done with players of Grosskreutz quality.

No need to moan and *bleep* about. Time to GET IN.

Wijnaldum is said to be proud and excited to join the Liverpool family. #lfc (SkySports)

Wjinaldum will fly out to America to join the pre-season tour this weekend. #lfc (SkySports)

GET IN LAD!

So excited. Already one of my favourite players he can now take top spot by virtue of joining my favourite club. <3

http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/first-team/228707-liverpool-complete-georginio-wijnaldum-capture

Liverpool Football Club have today completed the signing of Netherlands international Georginio Wijnaldum from Newcastle United.

The 25-year-old has signed a long-term deal with the Reds to seal a return to the Premier League and will now jet out to join the club's ongoing tour of the United States.

GET IN!

I prefer him in the dreadlocks as well. Hopefully he grows out his hair.

Speaking to the Liverpool Echo on Sunday, Wijnaldum revealed that Klopp’s influence was central to him choosing to join the Reds, turning down Everton in the process.

“He gave me a lot of confidence because he said he liked my way of playing football,” he said of his talks with Klopp.

“He said I was a person he really wanted to have in his squad.

Klopp knows what's up.

http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/2016-tour/229350-wijnaldum-my-first-lfc-shirt-belonged-to-fernando-torres

Nice interview. Trying not to get too crazy about how excited I am to have him on the team.

Bring Strootman and van de Beek too, and rescue Janssen from Tottenham.

Again this guy feels to me like he should be signed as a squad player, I hope and pray that he proves me wrong over the course of this season and he doesn't just step it up in the big games, as for ever it's the games against the what are called smaller teams that cause us the issues.

I think he'll be massive if we play the 4-3-3 often enough, and in my opinion this team has looked best when playing the 4-3-3.


IMO our best formation this year. Obviously the front 3 can be rotated a lot (and probably will need to be due to injury).

Sturridge shouldn't be played out wide, he should definitely be played through the middle as that is were he has always produced his best football. I'd rather keep Coutino in the role you have Lallana/Wijnaldum and move Wijnaldum out wide if anything.

Yeah deadly is at his best right up top

Sturridge pretty much goes wherever he wants on the pitch when he's on. You'll see he drifts out wide a lot actually and comes quite deep at times. He could just as easily swap with Origi in that depth chart it was more of a general feel for how I think the team should be.

So, what sort of player is Gini??? Watched some NUFC games and looks like he is a wide attacking player (though he tends to drift in/central). But here (GL) he is being touted as a CM.

He's a very versatile player. In Holland he's played as an attacking midfielder, winger and he spent his last two seasons at PSV as a central midfielder (though he dealt with injury much of his time there). He definitely likes to have the freedom to move forward and get in on the attacking play so no one would really mistake him for a holding or overly defensive midfielder. His best role in general, IMO, has generally been ACM or more of an attack minded CM in a midfield 3.

As for what kind of player he is...he's got great off the ball movement, a good touch, he can turn and create space with a quick burst as well and has great composure in front of goal. His passing can be a little too safe at times, and he's a decent dribbler. Defensively he doesn't always put in the work but he can run a lot and I think that will develop under Klopp.