Bayern Munich ‘reject chance to sign Georginio Wijnaldum after talks with his agent due to his wage demands’ with the Liverpool midfielder in the final months of his Anfield contract
- Bayern were keen to sign the 30-year-old Dutchman but have now pulled out
- Wijnaldum’s representatives reportedly travelled to Munich to thrash out a deal
- The European champions felt he was demanding far too much in terms of salary
Bayern Munich have reportedly spurned the chance to sign Georginio Wijnaldum due to what they see as excessive wage demands.
The Liverpool midfielder is out of contract this summer, meaning clubs outside England could have approached him from January this year to negotiate personal terms for a free transfer, with several top European clubs said to be keen.
But according to Abendzeitung, German giants Bayern have now pulled out of the race to sign the 30-year-old Dutchman.
Bayern Munich reportedly spurned the chance to sign Liverpool’s Georginio Wijnaldum (left)
German giants are said to have been put off by the 30-year-old midfielder’s wage demands
Wijnaldum’s team apparently travelled to Munich but the reigning Bundesliga and European champions felt there was little to no chance of agreeing a deal given his contract demands.
Bayern have historically signed key players on free transfers from rivals, including Manuel Neuer, Robert Lewandowski, and Leon Goretzka.
But Hansi Flick’s side would prefer Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Florian Neuhaus and are therefore willing to pass on Wijnaldum, who is interesting the likes of Chelsea, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain.
The news may come as a boost to Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman (centre), who is keen on him
Barcelona have been heavily linked with the 73-cap international, with manager Ronald Koeman well aware of his talents having worked with him whilst Netherlands boss.
However, the Catalan side may have to offload Miralem Pjanic before they could move for Wijnaldum, and may hand wonderkid Ilaix Moriba a first-team slot instead.
Despite the contract uncertainty, the former Newcastle player led out the Reds in the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid in the absence of Jordan Henderson and James Milner.
He has played 229 matches in all competitions for Jurgen Klopp’s team, scoring 22 goals, and remains a professional and dependable asset.
But the situation is not ideal for Liverpool, who are battling to reach the Champions League qualification spots and currently lie sixth, even outside the Europa League positions.
They also face exiting the Champions League at the quarter-final stage after losing the first leg 3-1 in Spain, although next up they host Zinedine Zidane’s side at Anfield on Wednesday looking for another remarkable comeback win in Europe.