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Update [9:40AM EST]
Sport1 journalist Florian Plettenberg has added more context to the report that Liverpool midfielder Gini Wijnaldum will join FC Barcelona instead of Bayern Munich. Specifically, Plettenberg stated that the total financial package was too much for the Bavarians to fit within their budget:
Update @GWijnaldum: #FCBayern have dealt with GW. As reported, they would have liked to sign him up and his management would have liked to transfer him to Munich. However, the total package of salary and earnest money is too high. Consequence: No move to Bayern! @SPORT1
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) May 25, 2021
Liverpool’s Gini Wijnaldum is a free agent this summer.
As a top player who has had big contributions to his club’s success in recent years, demand for the Dutchman was said to be high, with reports even indicating Bayern Munich were among the teams interested. According to Fabrizio Romano, however, it appears that Wijnaldum’s future is set. He will sign for FC Barcelona:
Gini Wijnaldum is set to join Barcelona as a free agent until June 2024 - there’s nothing agreed with FC Bayern, he wants to sign for Barça. Last details and... here we go soon! #FCB @MatteMoretto
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 25, 2021
Romano says that “there’s nothing agreed with FC Bayern” and that the player wishes to “sign for Barca.” Furthermore, he reports that the transfer is already in the final stages and could be finalised “soon.”
BFW Analysis
At Bayern, Wijnaldum could have provided midfield depth behind Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich in Bayern’s pecking order. However, coming with hefty wages and 30 years on his belt already, it is probably for the best that Bayern didn't secure this signing. In a time where money is short and transfers are limited, an unnecessary signing could have been taking crucial euros out of Bayern’s transfer budget.