Georginio Wijnaldum to Liverpool for Undisclosed Fee

Midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum has left Newcastle United and joined Liverpool for an undisclosed fee, his former club announced Friday.

“[He seems] a great man - from the outside - because I don’t know how he works yet and I have to work with him," Wijnaldum said of Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.

“[But] I always love to watch him, his passion as a trainer, I like how he enjoys the game," Wijnaldum added on Klopp. "He gives something back to the group [with his passion] so I look forward to working with him.”

As we can see here courtesy of OptaJoe, the Dutchman was especially impressive on home soil last season:

It’s easy to see why Liverpool would be keen on the player. Wijnaldum, at his best, is energetic, effective in the final third and can thrive in a variety of different roles on the field. Alongside better players, he has technical quality to have more of an impact as well.

While there were bright moments in his debut term in English football, there are areas he needs to refine. Most pertinently, Wijnaldum didn’t always show an appetite for the physical side of the game, something that perhaps explains his poor return in terms of goals away from home.