"Arsenal are one of his favorite clubs" - Journalist says PSG superstar is open to Premier League return amid rumors of January transfer
Kaveh Solhekol has claimed Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum is open to a return to the Premier League, with Arsenal being his favorite club.
The Sky Sports journalist has said Wijnaldum was a Gunners supporter whilst growing up and would be happy to play for them in the future.
However, Solhekol also said the move might not be happening in the January transfer window. Speaking on Sky Sports (via The Boot Room), the Englishman said:
"The information we’ve had is that the player would be open to returning to the Premier League. He just wants to play. About Arsenal and Gini Wijnaldum, I’ve been told Arsenal are one of his favourite clubs – when he was growing up, he was an Arsenal supporter. I think he would be more than happy to play for Arsenal one day. I’m not saying it’s going to happen this month. But, they are definitely a club who are close to his heart.”
It is worth noting that Georginio Wijnaldum has experience of playing in the Premier League before. The Dutchman played for the likes of Newcastle United and Liverpool during his six-year stint in England. Wijnaldum had a successful time at Liverpool where he won four trophies including the UEFA Champions League and the Premier League.
The 31-year-old midfielder left Liverpool to join PSG on a free transfer in the summer of 2021. Since then, he has scored three goals and provided one assist in 24 appearances for PSG.
Gini Wijnaldum urged to make Premier League return with Liverpool rival
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Signing Georginio Wijnaldum from PSG could be crucial for Arsenal
The Gunners are currently in dire need of a new central midfielder to strengthen their squad going forward. The club had a busy summer transfer window in 2021 when they signed the likes of Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White and Martin Odegaard. However, they still lack a quality central midfielder to partner the likes of Thomas Partey.
It is worth mentioning that the midfield duo of Partey and Mohamed Elneny are currently on international duty while Granit Xhaka is suffering from COVID.
A powerful box-to-box midfielder like Gini Wijnaldum could be an ideal signing for Mikel Arteta's side. The Dutchman has previous experience of playing in the Premier League and is equally adept at supporting the attack and tracking back to defend.
It is worth noting that Wijnaldum has also been linked with a return to Newcastle United in the ongoing transfer window.
#bbcfootballGeorginio Wijnaldum has been linked with a move to his former club in today's papers 🗞
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However, it is unclear whether PSG would allow one of their midfielders to leave in January. If possible, the Gunners could try and sign the 31-year-old on a six-month loan deal until the end of the season.