Liverpool’s busy summer in the transfer market continued last week with the signing of Newcastle United midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum for a fee reportedly worth up to £25 million.
The 25-year-old put pen to paper on a five-year contract with the Reds, and speaking to the club’s official website, expressed how much he was looking forward to linking up with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp:
“I’m really excited because Liverpool is a big club with a great history and it’s always a dream to play for as big a club as Liverpool. [He seems] a great man – from the outside – because I don’t know how he works yet and I have to work with him. [But] I always love to watch him, his passion as a trainer, I like how he enjoys the game. He gives something back to the group [with his passion] so I look forward to working with him.”
The History
Born in Rotterdam, Holland, Wijnaldum began his youth career at Sparta Rotterdam before moving to Feyenoord at the age of 14. He quickly progressed to the first-team and made his debut against FC Groningen in April 2007.
Wijnaldum would stay at Feyenoord until 2011, racking up 135 appearances in all competitions, scoring 25 goals and registering 11 assists.
In June 2011, Wijnaldum moved to fellow Dutch side PSV Eindhoven in a deal reportedly worth €5 million. Over the next four seasons, the midfielder established himself as a key player for PSV, and was made club captain ahead of the 2013/14 campaign. The following year saw Wijnaldum lead the club to their first league title since 2008, and in total he bagged an impressive 56 goals and 24 assists from 154 matches in all competitions.
Last summer, Newcastle moved to sign the Dutchman for a fee of around £14.5 million, and he enjoyed a good season statistically, scoring 11 goals and providing five assists in 38 Premier League appearances. Nonetheless, the Magpies endured a difficult season, which culminated in them being relegated to the Championship.
Having scored 20 goals in 57 appearances at youth level for Holland from Under 17 upwards, Wijnaldum made his senior debut in an 11-0 win against San Marino in September 2011, scoring as a second-half substitute. He was an important member of their 2014 World Cup squad which secured a third place finish, and currently has 30 caps and six goals to his name.
The Prospects
Upon completing the signing of Wijnaldum, Reds boss Klopp revealed the Dutch international’s versatility was a key factor behind adding another midfield player to his squad:
“He can play a few positions for us and players that come through the Dutch system usually have a good tactical understanding and flexibility. That’s really important.”
Last term and during pre-season thus far, Klopp has largely switched between 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 formations. In the 4-2-3-1, Wijnaldum could feature on the left wing, as a number ten or even in the double-pivot, while he could play as either a left-sided attacker in a 4-3-3 or as the most attack-minded player in a three-man midfield.
The German already had plenty of great options for the attacking midfield positions, with Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana, while Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi provide strong striking options.
Given that the likes of Emre Can, Jordan Henderson and James Milner are all vying for positions in central midfield, Fantasy managers will be eagerly awaiting the Dutchman’s likely impact on Klopp’s team sheet. There’s the possibility that Klopp could adopt a “horse for courses” approach next time out, though a lack of European competition will hopefully limit the rest and rotation policy brought in at the end of the previous season.
Wijnaldum’s strong goal scoring record throughout his career will provide Klopp with a different option, though, particularly in the 4-3-3 system where he excelled at PSV. In terms of minutes per shot last year, Firmino (32.7 minutes) and Mane (31.5) were far quicker rate than Wijnaldum’s 61.7, albeit in a struggling Newcastle side.
Impressively, his 20.4% goal conversion rate was superior to any Liverpool player and means that the Merseysiders now boast three of the nine midfielders (along with Firmino and Mane) who scored at least ten times in 2015/16. Ultimately, given that the latter two can also play as “false nines”, they look the most enticing Fantasy prospects at this point until we get a better idea of Klopp’s intentions.
It’s likely the former Newcastle player will be priced at around 8.0 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), slightly cheaper than both Mane (9.0) and Firmino (8.5) and on a par with Coutinho. Liverpool players might not be in huge demand at the start of the season though, with the Reds facing three tough away matches in the opening five Gameweeks (ars, bur, tot, LEI, che).
We’ll need to assess Klopp’s teamsheets over the opening Gameweeks before being in a position to trust the Dutchman as a viable Fantasy option. Should Klopp favour a 4-3-3 system this season, with Wijnaldum lining up as the most advanced of the midfield three, there is certainly potential for him to flourish in his new surrounds.
