Wijnaldum confirms Liverpool exit
Georginio Wijnaldum has confirmed he will leave Liverpool on a free transfer this off season and suggested that the decision to depart was not his own.
The Dutchman is approaching the end of the five-year contract he signed upon arriving from Newcastle United in a £25m deal in July 2016.
In the build-up to his final appearance for the Reds – a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace that secured Champions League football for next season – both club and player had not let much slip over what the future held.
But, speaking after he was given a guard of honour by his team-mates, Wijnaldum explained that he will be leaving Anfield – and not of his own volition.
He said: "I'm fighting against tears right now. The people in Liverpool have shown me love during the five years. I will miss them, you know?
"I hoped to have played many more years for the club but unfortunately things went different. I have to start a new adventure.
"I knew I went to a big club. I remember that I was sitting in the living room and the manager said when I come to Liverpool we would win prizes.
"I am happy it went that well. It would have been really painful to leave the club without any.
"It's really special. Since I've joined the fans have sung my name. Week-in, week-out they saw I was giving 100 per cent to give everything for this club.
"That's what the supporters want to see and that's what they appreciate from me. It is something I'm going to miss."
Barcelona were linked with a cut-price move for Wijnaldum last summer, while Bayern Munich have emerged as potential suitors in recent weeks.
However, the 30-year-old insists no decision over his next move has yet been made.
He said: "I didn't sign somewhere else. Everyone knows in football everything can happen. The situation is right now that on 1 July I am not a Liverpool player.
"We will see what I will do in the next couple of weeks. I will rest a little bit then go to the national team. I will have to look at my story and how everything went.
"The fans deserve to know the story behind it."
