Arsenal and Liverpool beware! PSG did Barca a favour by signing Wijnaldum
Robin Bairner
- 7 Mar 2022 18:20 GMT
- 3 min read
When Paris Saint-Germain snatched Georginio Wijnaldum from under the noses of Barcelona in the summer, it threatened to be a catastrophe for the Camp Nou side.
Restricted to signing players who were free agents, Wijnaldum had been one of Barca’s major targets in a summer that saw them capture Sergio Aguero, Memphis Depay and Eric Garcia.
None of these deals have been particularly successful, albeit the failure of Aguero to make an impact at Barca was at least partially due to a heart condition that has sadly forced him into retirement. Depay has known his highs and lows, while Garcia offers little more than a back-up option to Gerard Pique and Ronald Araujo.
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Wijnaldum, though, would have been a disaster at Camp Nou if his time at PSG is anything to go by.
Having impressed for the Netherlands in Euro 2020, the Parisians were quick to snap him up, yet his time in France has been catastrophic. Perhaps the nadir arrived on Saturday, when PSG were defeated 1-0 by Nice away from home. He touched the ball only 29 times in a team that dominated possession, won just one of four duels and committed two fouls while winning none.
Wijnaldum to be sold by PSG
Wijnaldum’s credibility at PSG is now shot and the prospects of the club holding onto him beyond the summer look slim.
Arsenal had been linked with him over the January transfer window, during which Liverpool and Newcastle were also cited as possible transfer destinations. Indeed, it was even claimed that the midfielder “would like to play” for the Gunners.
These rumours have quietened, and all three would be well advised to steer clear of a player past his best.
Wijnaldum is not only failing the eye test, he is also flunking statistically, too.
Leading data analytics company SciSports assesses the performances of thousands of footballers on a match-by-match basis and gives them a score based on hundreds of in-game data points. According to their figures, Wijnaldum’s form levels are capitulating.
In early 2020, when he was playing a leading role as Liverpool charged to the Premier League title unopposed, he was one of the game’s elite figures. Since then, his numbers are declining alarmingly.
Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle fans may remember those heady days at Anfield for Wijnaldum, but this PSG version is cutting a very different figure indeed – and not one that they would wish to see in their team.
Read more about: La Liga, Ligue 1, Premier League, Arsenal, Barcelona, Liverpool, PSG, Georginio Wijnaldum
