Liverpool are reported to be chasing PSV Eindhoven midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum.
The 23-year-old, who was said to be a target for Arsenal in the summer, insists he is happy to remain in Holland but Reds boss Brendan Rodgers looks set to test the player’s resolve with an £9 million bid this month.
So just who is this Liverpool target?
Wijnaldum is a Dutch international who plays as an attacking midfielder for PSV Eindhoven.
He began his youth career at Sparta Rotterdam before moving to Feyenoord in 2007.
Wijnaldum became the Feyenoord’s youngest ever player when he made his first team debut in April 2007 aged just 16 years and 148 days
Before getting involved in football the young Wijnaldum had hopes of becoming an acrobat or gymnast.
The 23-year-old’s preferred position is the central playmaker role where his technical ability and versatility has seen him likened to fellow Dutchman and former Tottenham favourite Rafael van der Vaart.
Wijnaldum was once known as Georgini Boateng but took his mother’s maiden name after his parent’s divorce.
Nicknamed ‘Gini’, Wijnaldum cites former Feyenoord and Liverpool star Dirk Kuyt as a role model.
Wijnaldum has three international caps having made his Holland debut as a substitute against San Marino in September 2011. He scored his first international goal in the same game.
=========
Maybe people who follow Dutch football can tell us more about him, but from highlights and clips he looks like a very good young player to me. What I especially like is that he seems to be a very mature and determined individual, already a captain of his team despite the young age. A #10 who can also play on either wing and possibly as a CM too. Likes to dribble and run with the ball, very athletic with a good leap on him (his gymnastic training is showing), quick, energetic and clever.
He is currently injured with some back trouble, has been out since September. In the 6 league games he played before the injury, he scored 4 goals.
I think this is another case where a move in the summer (when his injury problems are over, hopefully) would make much more sense.