Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp on the touchline. (Getty Images)
Back in 2016, Liverpool had infamously failed to land Piotr Zielinski for a fee of £9.5m. As a result, Jurgen Klopp ended up signing Georginio Wijnaldum from Newcastle United for a fee of £25m.
The 25-year-old eventually joined Napoli and he continues to be a part of their team. However, earlier in March, there was a report by Daily Express which claimed that the Reds were interested in signing him once again. No deal materialized but considering the kind of growth Wijnaldum has shown in recent times, perhaps Liverpool need not regret missing out on Zielinski.
The two clubs recently met for a Champions League encounter which ended in a 1-1 draw. While Napoli’s setup prevented Liverpool from doing much, Wijnaldum’s rise over the years has been phenomenal.
An ever-present member in the Liverpool squad, the midfielder thrives when it comes to doing the dirty work in the middle of the park. In addition, he often links up well with the attack and initiates goalscoring chances.
Granted, he struggled for consistency upon first arriving at Anfield but at present, he is one of the most reliable players Klopp has at his disposal.
Despite the arrival of players like Naby Keita and Fabinho, the Netherlands ace has held his own and hasn’t budged from the first-team picture at Liverpool. In fact, he played a key role in the Reds’ run-up to the Champions League title last season.
In the exemplary win against Manchester City in the final stages of the elite competition, Wijnaldum impressed as a defensive midfielder considerably. In fact, that was one of his most crucial performances in a Liverpool shirt.
Regardless of City’s dominance and vastly talented squad, Wijnaldum crushed his counterparts and was at the core of all things good for the Merseysiders in the middle of the park.
The midfielder has also been scoring some wonder goals – including one against AS Roma in last season’s Champions League semi-final and one in their Premier League encounter against Tottenham this term.
Zielinski has certainly worked wonders for the Naples-based outfit as well but Wijnaldum has evolved into so much more than just a midfielder. He is a strong force to reckon with and suffice to say, Klopp and Wijnaldum have worked pretty well with each other.