Three possible loan destinations for Georginio Wijnaldum

When Paris Saint-Germain swept up Gianluigi Donnarumma, Sergio Ramos, Georginio Wijnaldum and a certain Lionel Messi all for free last summer, the general consensus was that the French giants were going to dominate in Europe and finally get their hands on that sought-after Champion League trophy — which has been the dream of Nasser Al-Khelaifi since he bought PSG in 2011, but has eluded him thus far.

However, things haven’t exactly worked out for the new additions the way Mauricio Pochettino and the passionate PSG fans would have hoped for so far this season. Ramos has spent a long period on the sidelines through injury, Donnarumma is reportedly unhappy with his squad status alongside Keylor Navas, Messi isn’t exactly recording the kind of surreal number of goals and assists we have become so accustomed to and Wijnaldum might just be on his way out already.

The Dutch midfielder, who looked nailed on to sign for Barcelona before PSG swept in with a late bid, has struggled to secure a regular starting place at the Parc des Princes and is believed to be open for a loan move away from the French capital during the January transfer window. So, as we wait to see whether PSG will actually let him go or not, let’s take a look at three sides who could be ready take the Dutchman off their hands next month.

Arsenal

Despite his former alliances with Liverpool, it is their ‘Big Six’ rivals Arsenal who are reportedly the frontrunners to bring in the 31-year-old until the end of the season. The Gunners were on a good run of form over the last couple of months, as they went 10 games unbeaten in all competitions after a dreadful start to the season. But they have since lost three of their last five Premier League games and Mikel Arteta will be starting to worry that consistency could be an issue as they try to gauge their way back into Europe. A player of Wijnaldum’s quality would only benefit the side, especially with Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny set to jet off to the Africa Cup of Nations for a month.

Liverpool

Of course, the north London side aren’t the only big team affected by the upcoming African competition, which looks set to be a major inconvenience due to its ill timing. Liverpool are set to lose three key players in the form of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané and Naby Keïta. Wijnaldum could prove to be good cover for the latter as Jürgen Klopp’s side, who are one of the favourites to win the Premier League title with sites Betdaq, lack any real depth in most areas of the pitch — which has led to speculation that their title credentials could implode in the New Year. The manner in which Gini left the club back in the summer wasn’t ideal, but after helping Liverpool win the Champions League and the Premier League, we’re sure the fans would welcome him back with open arms.

Newcastle United

Wijnaldum made a name for himself in England at Newcastle United, plying his trade at St. James’ Park for just one year in the 2015-16 season — when he operated as a box-to-box midfielder and scored an impressive 11 times in 38 league games. That was enough for the Dutchman to attract the interest of Liverpool and the rest is history. However, with the Magpies’ new, mega-rich Saudi Arabian owners, the northeast side have the type of funds needed to match Wijnaldum’s large wage requirements and lure him back to Newcastle in January. While a permanent move would probably be off the cards, if the 31-year-old is looking to gain regular football until the end of the season, then a return to Newcastle could be the perfect option!