Georginio Wijnaldum-Newcastle- Teammate Ayozo Perez is the subject of all the transfer gossip for the Toons at the moment, but more attention should be paid at the more polished Wijnaldum. He has been the best Newcastle player on the year statistically and has contributed six goals and two assists already. This may not sound like much, but given Newcastle’s uneven form on the young season it’s quite an accomplishment.
The young attacking midfielder can play either centrally or on the left effectively which adds to his value. He is equally adept at scoring goals and providing others so he offers more maturity than younger attacking options. He’s not exactly over the hill either at 25-years-0ld.
He may not be ideally suited for squads with Champions League aspirations but he certainly deserves better than Newcastle’s current 17th position in the table. He would be an ideal fit for a team like Crystal Palace or Southampton that wants to strengthen in order to achieve European qualification. Someone like Leicester might also do well to secure his services as reinforcements for the grind of the Premier League season.
It’s not as if Newcastle has treated the lad poorly, because he’s played a prominent role for them. It’s just a matter of a player wanting to avoid being the last man on a sinking ship. If Perez and Moussa Sissoko are on the move as many expect, Wijnaldum should do everything he can to join them on the way out-of-town.