Barcelona search for Wijnaldum alternative

According to Marca, Georginio Wijnaldum’s decision to join Paris Saint-Germain has hit Barcelona hard. The soon-to-be former Liverpool midfielder had already agreed to a Camp Nou switch after five successful years at Anfield, but a last-minute offer to double his wages by the Ligue 1 giants seems to have turned his head and he called the deal off, leaving Barcelona to scramble for an alternative target as best they can.

The problem is, no player on the market is deemed capable of providing the same qualities as the Dutch international. Real Sociedad’s Mikel Merino and Fabian Ruiz of Napoli have been considered in that aspect, but their prices, reportedly set at €30m and €50m, respectively, are something Barcelona cannot afford at the moment. It points to another advantage the acquisition of Wijnaldum on a free transfer would have had over them.

Right now it seems that Barcelona might have no choice but to give academy graduates Ilaix Moriba and Nico Gonzalez more game time next season, though there is still a long way to go before the summer window closes.