Georginio Wijnaldum says it was Liverpool who pushed him towards the exit door.
The 30-year-old midfielder spent five years at Anfield, playing a key role in the club’s success during that time, winning the Champions League and Premier League.
But ahead of this season, he walked away from the club after his contract expired, deciding to pursue a new challenge.
And it was expected that he would join Barcelona before eventually deciding to join PSG as part of a late hijack from the Ligue 1 club.
Now settled in France, Wijnaldum has opened up on the move, why his Liverpool exit came about and why he ended up joining PSG over Barcelona.
“Several months ago, I had expressed the desire to stay in Liverpool but, without going into details, Liverpool did not give me the feeling of wanting to keep me,” he told L’Equipe. “In these cases, we have to move forward.
“Barcelona came. I was really happy because, since I was a child, as for the majority of Dutch players, it was the club of my dreams even if I must admit that my idol was Zinedine Zidane.
“I had a good idea to commit to Barca. But the negotiations lasted a very long time and Paris came in. Unlike six years earlier, the club showed me their desire to recruit me. It was time for me to have something else.”
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Wijnaldum is now part of a star-studded PSG squad that includes Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.
He signed a contract until 2024 and he will be looking to help the French giants finally end their pursuit for a Champions League title.