Gini Wijnaldum has repeated the reasons why he decided to leave Liverpool and sign for Paris Saint-Germain. The Dutchman ended his five-year stay at Anfield earlier in the summer after the expiration of his contract, which he signed in 2016 after arriving from Newcastle. During his time on Merseyside, the 30-year-old made 237 appearances for the Reds and won four major trophies along the way. Talk about a possible contract extension was on the cards for several months, but in the end Wijnaldum decided to call time on his spell at Liverpool. Wijnaldum has spoken about why he decided to join PSG, and discussed transfer interest from Tottenham earlier in his career.
Gini Wijnaldum said: “I was at the end of my contract, several clubs contacted me. When Paris reached out to me, everything went very well, and I quickly felt the desire to join Paris Saint-Germain. Mauricio Pochettino had already contacted me in the past, to try to sign me for Tottenham, so I had already talked a lot with him. The whole club made me feel that they really wanted me – that played a big part in my decision. When I was at Liverpool, we used to play with a real focus on attack, it’s one of the best things you can do. Playing to attack is a philosophy that suits me, and Paris Saint-Germain is a team that plays like that. It’s a type of football that I love and that sits well with me.”
Wijnaldum went on to say how excited he is to sign for PSG, and explains why a previous meeting while at Liverpool influenced his decision.
Gini Wijnaldum added: “I am feeling great, I have joined a great club, which has excellent players in its squad. Paris is a beautiful city, with incredible supporters, I know that because I have already played against Paris in the Parc des Princes. It’s a huge day for me and my family, because it’s the beginning of a new adventure. I can’t wait to experience the Parc des Princes as a Paris Saint-Germain player. When I played here in the Champions League with Liverpool, I was very impressed. I remember the fans never give up and support their team for the whole 90 minutes. Paris won the match 2-1, and the fans played a huge role in the match.”
