Georginio Wijnaldum will be leaving Liverpool due to the fact he will be out of contract and no renewal has been agreed.
According to journalist Fabrizio Romano he is in talks to join Barcelona until 2024.
It is fair to say it will be an emotional departure when he does officially leave as the Dutchman was signed to start the Jurgen Klopp reign and he is the first one to leave, after being such a significant figure in the Champions League and Premier League wins.
He has gone full cycle and it is a microcosm to where Liverpool are at under Jurgen Klopp’s reign.
The German signed him for his initial rebuild and now after five momentous years at the club another rebuild may be slowly on the way.
Klopp put it in poetic words about the importance of Wijnaldum who is undoubtedly a legend and should be remembered as fondly as anyone else who have won the Premier League for Liverpool.
“We have built this Liverpool on his legs, lungs, brain and his huge, beautiful heart. If and it is still if – he goes, he does so knowing we as his team-mates are eternally grateful for having this special human being into our lives.
“I love him and he will always be family” said the German in his match programme notes.
Also after the game Klopp said something which really pulled on the heart strings.
It was simple but moving.
“If goodbye is not tough then your time together is not worth it.”
Just let that sink in for a moment.
The times together were absolutely worth it with Wijnaldum.
He was signed as a winger from Newcastle which left everyone a bit puzzled as to why he was actually signed as in the same window Sadio Mane was brought in.
However, Jurgen Klopp knew exactly what he was doing as he transformed him into a monster of a midfielder who would go onto play 237 times for Liverpool.
He was Klopp’s Mr Reliable, he was his go to for near enough every game as he would dominate the midfield, he would cover the space to allow the full-backs to charge on and he was impossible to press.
The perfect Klopp midfielder.
Then there are all the iconic goals.
Wijnaldum was never a goalscoring midfielder for Liverpool, he only scored 22, but when he did get them, well they were massive.
Before you even mention the obvious two there was his goal against Middlesbrough on the last day of the 16/17 season to secure Champions League football.
Even in that season he scored headers against Manchester City and Chelsea whilst also bagging a counter-attack goal against Arsenal.
There was the header against Roma in the Champions League semi-final 17/18 to get Liverpool through to the final in Kyiv.
In the 18/19 season he scored the delightful lob against Bournemouth and the thunderbolt against Cardiff City to take Liverpool back to the top of the table.
And then the two goals that will be remembered for the rest of time.
The one time he did not start Wijnaldum still came on and gave one of his best ever performances, against Barcelona.
His second goal is one of the biggest let offs in Anfield history and then his little turn in the midfield to take the whole ground by surprise will never be forgotten.
Then in the title winning campaign there was memorable winner at Sheffield United which again sent the fans flying down rows of seats in the away end.
He was the big game player, he always stood out and when it was needed most he delivered.
Special goals, special memories, special player.
It will be weird seeing him next season in a different jersey and it will also be sad for Liverpool supporters to hear his song sung by other fans who should adore him.
Five years as a red for Wijnaldum.
It has gone quick but as they say time flies when you are having fun or when you are winning two of the biggest trophies in club football with the fans singing Du-du-du-du-du-du GINI WIJNALDUM.
He got to hear it one last time against Crystal Palace as the ten thousand fans sang his name around the ground.
Wijnaldum said he was holding back tears when he had his standing ovation, near enough everyone was in the ground.
A modern-day Liverpool legend.
Image credit: Getty Images
