Koeman wants to make Wijnaldum his first Barcelona signing

Newly-appointed Barcelona head coach Ronald Koeman has set his sights on the Liverpool utility man Georginio Wijnaldum.

Koeman views Wijnaldum as a notable upgrade to his current midfield options and hopes to be able to pull off a deal amid the Dutchman’s contractual uncertainty at Liverpool.

After producing a scandalous 2019/20 season, Barcelona will undergo major reforms in the summer. In addition to the ongoing overhaul of the sporting management, the squad will also suffer massive changes.

Barca went from surrendering La Liga title to arch-rivals Real Madrid to suffering a horror 8-2 loss at the hands of Bayern Munich in the revamped Champions League quarter-finals.

The club stalwart Lionel Messi seems to have had enough humiliation and has reportedly requested to be allowed to leave Camp Nou after 24 years.

Koeman, who’s been entrusted with a daunting task of reshaping an aging squad, has already started piecing together his transfer plans for the summer.

According to Dutch publication AD, former Netherlands coach has named his compatriot Gini Wijnaldum as a starting point to the Barcelona rebuilding process.

Wijnaldum, who arrived at Anfield in 2016, has played a prominent role in Liverpool’s triumphant Premier League campaign, racking up 37 top-flight appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

But, despite being held in high esteem by the German manager, the 29-year-old midfielder has yet to be offered fresh terms at Liverpool.

The tenacious box-to-box midfielder has one year remaining at his current contract at the club, which is something Koeman will be looking to benefit from.

A bunch of Barcelona’s first-team stars could be on their way out in the summer, with Ivan Rakitic, Sergio Busquets, and Arturo Vidal all already put on the transfer list.

Koeman hopes Wijnaldum could help Frenkie de Jong shaping a new era in Catalonia and is poised to put together a sizeable offer to tempt Liverpool into selling.