LIVERPOOL MIDFIELDER Georginio Wijnaldum insists he is happy at the club and does not feel like he has to leave but has considered how devastating it would be if he did.
The Holland international is into the last four months of his contract at Anfield and has long been linked with Barcelona and a reunion with his former national team boss Ronald Koeman.
But while Jurgen Klopp, safe in the knowledge he has a contract until 2024, had no hesitation in ruling himself out of a departure with the Germany job becoming available in the summer, Wijnaldum could not be so categorical.
“The only thing I can say is that I am really happy at the club, really happy with the team and the staff and really happy with the fans for whom I play,” he said.
“It is not that I am not happy and I have to leave but it is not that easy as everyone thinks it is to make some decisions for your future.
“First you have to negotiate with the club and it is so difficult to deal with all kind of things and that is why it takes so long and also, the situation we are in, it is not the most important thing right now.
“The most important thing is to get back on track and winning games again and then we will see. I am really happy here and my family is happy here but there is no news.
“But I would be devastated (if) I didn’t play with this team any more, that’s for sure.”
Wijnaldum will be 31 in November and while he may have been Liverpool’s most reliable player in a season crippled by injuries to senior players that does not make him indispensable.
The stumbling block over the length and financial terms of a new deal are not insurmountable but owners Fenway Sports Group are not known for handing out lucrative offers to employees approaching the end of their usefulness.
Wijnaldum is the third-oldest outfield player behind James Milner (35) and captain Jordan Henderson (five months older than the Dutchman) and if this season has proved anything it is that the squad will need refreshing before it gets too old together.
It has left Wijnaldum, who has made 224 appearances in almost six years, having to realistically consider walking away from the club with which he won the Champions League and Premier League.
“Really difficult. If that happens, you would be leaving a team that you really love. A team that you shared a lot of years together, a team where you feel really comfortable,” he said.
“But on the other side, you would know the situation why you have to leave. It always depends on the situation.”
Klopp was quick to distance himself from the Germany job after he was installed as one of the favourites when Joachim Low announced on Tuesday he had negotiated to leave his contract a year early after Euro 2020.
“If you want to ask if I am available for the job of the coach of the German national team in the summer… No. I will not be available,” was the response from the Reds boss.
“I have three years left at Liverpool, that’s a simple statement, a simple situation. You sign a contract and you normally try to stick to that contract don’t you?
“I had a contract in Mainz where I stuck with them even though there was interest from other Bundesliga teams with more money.
“It is just timing and if it doesn’t work out you don’t have to lose any sleep over it.”
Klopp’s immediate focus is getting his side through the last-16 Champions League tie against RB Leipzig in Budapest in which they hold a 2-0 advantage from the first leg.
Their Bundesliga opponents have won eight of the last nine with their only blip that defeat to Liverpool, whose confidence is rock-bottom after an unprecedented six successive home league defeats.
“We never had momentum in the Premier League but we have momentum in the Champions League: we qualified from the group stages, we played very well against Leipzig,” said Klopp.
“Of course they have a very different momentum as they have won four matches on the trot so statistically it is different but the good thing about football is the previous results don’t have an influence on the match. If it is a different tournament even less so.”
Cmon Shane .
Sky sports
Can we please know what par the hole is before he hits his first shot.
Come on Dustin Johnson and do it for the golf purists.
Lowry bandwagon will be back again soon. In the meantime break out the Union Jack and follow McIlroy in the Olympics.
But the trolling bandwagon will roll on, in its self-pitying lonely journey through the dirty slums of its pathetic existence crying out for the attention it never got from Mommy.
And so it came to pass that John realised he had no friends and that trying to be controversial did not make him cool
I dont follow golf……but I know its serious when the42 has a live blog of a golf event.Hope he comes home as a champion!
Same here Irin..it would be a ‘Yuge’ achievement.
Live blog is the best way to watch golf
Cmon Shane. We need a win this weekend!!
He’s not representing his country, Not the same.
Most reds ever.
I bet there was some amount of candles lit in Clara Church at this mornings mass.
Even more rosery beads sold in the market this morning
Come on lowry kiiiiiiidddd!!
This is an absolute outrage from the USGA!! I’m all for Lowry to win, but I certainly wouldn’t begrudge Johnson a first major either but he’s being treated very unfairly here in my eyes.
Yeah, lousy by the USGA, they should do the right thing and disqualify him! Come on Shane!!
I think it’s unfair on all the players considering they have all allegedly been told what’s happening. It’s farcical at the moment though. Really stupid decision making by the USGA.
Unbelievable!
Monday lotto?!
Unbelievable!
John Hayes I really hope you get to eat humble pie
Don’t worry-you can get off the bandwagon at the next stop with all the rest.
John, you are a pathetic human being but I presume you post these comments because you derive pleasure from people thinking of you as pathetic. Congrats chief
Pity 3 x3 putts in a row Shane doesn’t deserve to win it now,had a four shot lead and couldn’t hold it,not good enough this week to win a major,maybe another time.
Its getting painful to watch now. Hope he can finish outright 2nd
What an athlete!!!!
Shane finishing off a typical weekend for Irish sports by choking when it matters
Im going to bed cant take anymore dreams dashed,
Hold on….Hang on a mo
This ain’t over yet by a long shot…………
Needs to take the initiative here Shane.
Waiting for the pack to slip up is not a good tactic.
Seize the day.
So is DJ on -5 or -4? They should make a ruling now, nobody knows what score the leader is on, it’s crazy!!
Not looking good now with that bogey on 10
and will paddy power pay out if he does?
Poor front 9 for Shane not helped by his partner who is having a mare,hopefully he can regroup.
Johnson’s partner Westwood had as big a mare.
Lowry all too often struggles on the last day, he’s just too out of shape and is at a clear disadvantage because of it.
Achieved far more than you ever will. And has a hell of a lot more friends I’m sure.
You can see the pressure on Shane’s face in those last couple of shots!
Poor show at the 14th there.
This is stupid make a decision already! Can’t see a penalty but man up.
Settle
G’wan Shaneo
Delighted for Dustin Johnson…. After all he’s been through over the years, I don’t think there’s a soul on earth who would deny him a major!
Bar Jason Dufner of course after Johnson ride his wife
Top European,joint second, toughest course you could play be proud you have to lose one to win won .
Johnson playing at a snails pace
FFS Shane. ……what are you doing man
Bottle job.
Bottle job is a kind way of putting it.
the irish rugby team bottled it against South Africa and now shane Lowry is doing the same.
He’s thrown in the towel all right.
No courage.
Ireland did not ‘bottle’ it. They were beaten by a much better and stronger bench and at a venue where only two teams have ever been South Africa. Nowhere do Ireland play rugby at nearly 6000ft on a regular basis. 7 of the South Africans play there every week.
Shane did not choke today. He missed a few long puts which left awkward 6/7/8 footers for par.
I think we need to get beyond this ‘choke’ and ‘bottle’ mentality here. It’s self-perpetuating.
Can’t find the Shane Lowry jersey anywhere online.
Back from weekend away,planned to celebrate Ireland test win over SA,didn’t happen,hoping for a draw against Belguim ,didnt happen,come on Shane !!!!pleeease
Unfortunately Shane Bottled it..
He’s still in it. My bet a tie with a play off.
Kinda ridiculous that they still haven’t made a ruling on the penalty stroke for Johnson.
Shane Lowry and others have been informed that he is facing a possible penalty so that’s bound to colour their psychology on the run in.
Best thing Shane can do now is ignore that ‘Rumour’ and play the tournament according to the official leaderboard.
Ireland vs. Belgium in football, vs. South Africa in rugby, and vs. the ROTW in one of the majors in golf, what a horribly disappointing weekend of sport for us, especially the latter two where we blew what should have been unassailable leads.
Short of getting in the car Nd driving to Clara where can I watch it without sky sports!?
Download Mobdro off internet onto your android phone or tablet and watch away
Bandwagon running rough?
Keep it going Shane