football transfer sagas, here we go!!

 

The highly reliable Fabrizio Romano has just given his famous ‘here we go!’ for Georginio Wijnaldum’s transfer to Barcelona. The much-debated move has finally come to fruition, as a report from Romano means that it is essentially set in stone. Wijnaldum will be wearing a Barça shirt come August.

The details of the transfer include that he will sign a contract which will see him be a Blaugrana till June 2024. Only a few days remain for Gini to sign, as both the club and the player work towards finding an agreement where the midfielder can arrive at the Camp Nou with a reduced salary.

The Dutch midfielder has been a much-requested addition to the squad by Ronald Koeman. Gini used to be a regular choice for Koeman during his time coaching the Netherlands national team, often using his for late arrivals into the box. Wijnaldum is also great at retaining the ball, keeping the play ticking, and giving a high level of reliability in midfield.

Now that it looks plausible that Koeman will stay on, it only makes sense for Joan Laporta and his board to back their coach wholeheartedly; even if signing the 30-year-old may not be the most pleasant news for Culés, Koeman must be given the tools he requests for if he is to be backed come next season.

Wijnaldum is a seasoned veteran who has won it all with Liverpool. Given his consistency and high level of performance, he will surely add a lot (and instantly) to the Blaugranas’ midfield. Nevertheless, this move does not come without its own frustrations.

Currently, the last place Barça need reinforcement is in the middle of the park. With a wealth of options and diversity of profiles, signing a midfielder (or spending the club’s resources in doing so) feels somewhat a waste of potential. While Barça’s effort could perhaps be best spent finding a world-class centre-back, it is rather going into investing for even more additions in the midfield.

Given that players such as Riqui Puig, Ilaix Moriba, or potentially even Nico Gonzalez are not even the first-choice options for Koeman’s lineup, it is surprising that he feels the need to sign
another midfielder. Specifically given the fact that such midfielders as the aforementioned (and of course Pedri and Frenkie de Jong) have the optimal conditions to succeed at Barça.

While the Liverpool player will surely add tremendous quality, maturity, and consistency to Barça, there are certain skill sets that midfielders who are born and bred in La Masia, which most other midfielders can only dream of. With such a talented class of midfielders both in the subsidiary and in the first team, then signing Wijnaldum begins to feel redundant.

The strongest argument to the contrary remains that the board must back the coach for the home stretch if they are to back him in keeping him for another season. Whoever Koeman and his team feel will strengthen the collective should be brought in (or attempted to) on a best-effort basis by Laporta and co. It is crucial that the board and their coach remain aligned, which has not been the case for several years at Barça.