Ronald Koeman set to make first signing as Barcelona manager.
While the talk all around Barcelona has been about the future of Lionel Messi, the club has not forgotten that they need to plan their squad ahead of next season.
According to Diario Sport, the Catalans are close to making their second signing of the season in Liverpool’s Georginio Wijnaldum.
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The report states that the Dutch midfielder is ready to join the club in a deal that could be worth around €20 million. He has agreed to personal terms with Barcelona and would sign a three-year deal.
This comes on the heels of Wijnaldum informing Liverpool that he was not going to renew his contract.
The potential signing is sure to raise eyebrows given that he will turn 30 this year and one of the reasons Koeman was brought in was to move on from the veteran players. Now he’s bringing in a veteran player of his own.
Koeman would argue that the difference here is that he knows WIjnaldum very well given he’s coached him when he was the manager of the Dutch national team.
What Wijnaldum could bring to the team is his energy in midfield. It’s something that was argued as to why the club signed Arturo Vidal. This time, however, Wijnaldum is three years younger and would theoretically better suit the style that Koeman would like to implement.
Still, should his signing be made official, it is going to divide opinion among the Barcelona faithful.
Ter Stegen thinks Barcelona should sign a familiar name.
If Barcelona were to pry Wijnaldum away from Liverpool, it would actually open up a spot in midfield that Jurgen Klopp is likely to fill with Thiago Alcantara.
The Bayern Munich player would easily slide into the Liverpool midfield and in many aspects be an upgrade. He is a player that goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen think Barcelona should try to sign.
"“I’d like to have Thiago at Barça. His style fits us well and he’s got an interesting personality. He offers different options. If they signed him, it would be great for him and us.”Source: Diario Sport"
Thiago would be an interesting option for Barcelona. He knows the club and knows the system very well. The only reason he left to Bayern Munich in the first place is because he wanted more playing time.
He is a couple of months younger than Wijnaldum and the advantage he has is that he would likely not need much time to acclimate himself. Barcelona have lacked a midfielder like Thiago who can spot a run and deliver a through ball since Andres Iniesta left.
But because they face competition from the likes of Liverpool, perhaps the club think that his signing would be harder to make. When Koeman was introduced as manager they said they would try to make the signings he wanted and he appears to prefer Wijnaldum.
Again, their familiarity with the national team might outweigh Thiago’s familiarity with Barcelona. If Koeman is to shape the club and make them play the way he wants to, he is going to need to have the trust and confidence from those at the top and supply him with the players he believes best fit his vision.