Koeman: Laporta is the reason why Barca didn’t sign Wijnaldum
The midfielder came close to a move last year
Ronald Koeman has been talking about his time at Barcelona and how he wanted to sign Georginio Wijnaldum only to see the club block the signing.
Wijnaldum was heavily linked with a move to the Camp Nou but ended up signing for Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer instead.
Koeman reckons Wijnaldum would have signed but president Joan Laporta made sure it didn’t happen.
“I tried to sign Wijnaldum, but I failed because the president wanted to annoy me by bringing in a player,” he said.
“That delayed the operation, and that’s why he opted for PSG. If not, he would have played at the Camp Nou.”
Source | Algemeen Dagblad
It was thought at the time that Wijnaldum had chosen PSG because the French club had offered a more attracted financial package, although the midfielder has since said it was also because Barca took too long in negotiations.
Wijnaldum ending up having a pretty difficult time at PSG. The midfielder signed a three-year deal in 2021 but left after one season to join Serie A side Roma on loan.
The midfieder’s fortunes haven’t really improved since then either He suffered a fractured tibia in August and is expected to miss the World Cup.
Source: barcablaugranes.com
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