Former Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum has been speaking about his move to Serie A side AS Roma and the individuals who influenced his decision.
Wijnaldum mentioned he spoke with former Liverpool teammate Mohammed Salah before making the switch. Salah spent two-years with the Giallorossi before moving to Anfield in 2017 and still has some good things to say about the club that ultimately made the Dutch man’s decision easier.
“I wanted to come because of the effort the club made to sign me and because I spoke to Mo Salah and Kevin Strootman about the club and the city and I only heard good stories about it. I also spoke to Achraf Hakimi, even if he played for Inter. He said that Roma is a beautiful club. That convinced me a lot also because I knew the club. We played once with Liverpool and the atmosphere was amazing. I knew I’d play for a club with beautiful supporters, it was the only thing that I knew. What convinced me the most was the effort Tiago Pinto put in to sign me. I felt wanted and appreciated and that made me make the decision.”
Wijnaldum spent five years at Liverpool before opting to join PSG last summer, where he failed to command a starting berth. He played 38 matches across all competitions for the Parisians before moving to Roma on a season long loan.
Jurgen Klopp touted him as the ‘perfect midfielder’ but since his departure from Liverpool, his form has never been the same. He still enjoys the accolade but think things can be different in another team.
“It’s always difficult to say what’s the perfect midfielder. Maybe I was for Liverpool, but I understand that things can be different for another team. I think everyone has an opinion about what the perfect midfielder is, but if a manager like Klopp says it, of course, I am happy.” He added.