According to Goal via Dutch outlet NOS, Ronald Koeman has confirmed that he was interested in signing Liverpool star Georginio Wijnaldum for Barcelona.
Not long after Koeman took the reins at the Camp Nou after Barcelona’s embarrassing end to last season, the Blaugrana were linked with a swoop for the Reds midfielder.
Wijnaldum was one of the players that Koeman consistently called on during his time as Holland boss.
When quizzed on the rumoured interest in the 29-year-old, Koeman confirmed that Wijnaldum was on his ‘list’ of potential signings.
Here’s what Koeman had to say on interest in Dutch players:
“Hopefully, we will have a second Dutchman in the squad.” (Koeman’s response when questioned on Barcelona’s interest in Lyon forward Memphis Depay.)
“Georginio Wijnaldum was on my list [too].”
Koeman also reiterated that he doesn’t intend to recruit lots of his compatriots, like Louis van Gaal did during his time in charge of Barcelona:
“That was extreme. I don’t think you can compare that with the current situation,”
“Now we have Frenkie de Jong. With Alfred Schreuder and myself on staff, we are two Dutchmen. But then there were eight or nine.”
Barcelona did sign Sergino Dest before the transfer window closed though, the full-back was born and raised in the Netherlands, but represents the USA – with eligibility through is father.
On the Wijnaldum front, the central midfielder has played the entire 90 minutes in all of Liverpool’s four Premier League games so far this season.
Barcelona forced out experienced midfielders in Arturo Vidal and Ivan Rakitic during the window, with the Catalan outfit recruiting playmaker Miralem Pjanic from Juventus in a part-exchange deal for Arthur Melo.
The manager himself want to lure all of the dutch player