Mooted Liverpool move branded ‘absolutely crazy’ by pundit

Liverpool would be “absolutely crazy” to allow midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum to leave upon the expiration of his contract, according to Steve Nicol.

A report from The Athletic on Monday pointed out that with 18 months left on his contract, Netherlands international Wijnaldum has the option of leaving Anfield as a free agent.

The 29-year-old, signed from Newcastle in 2016, has risen in prominence under Reds boss Jurgen Klopp, with his finest moment coming last season when his brace helped Liverpool beat Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals.

Speaking to ESPN, former Liverpool defender Nicol urged the club to sort out the player’s future sooner rather than later.

“The suggestion is that they’re not going to offer him a new contract,” the 58-year-old said.

“That makes no sense whatsoever. He’s been a huge part of the success of Liverpool over the last 18 months to two years.

“I would suggest this is absolutely crazy. If you’re going to let him leave, that means you’re going to have to bring someone in better than him which is great news for Liverpool fans.

“If you’re bringing in someone better than him then yes please, thank you very much.

“But you’re also going to give him a contract because you’re not going to let him go for free because he’s definitely going to bring in money from 90 per cent of the teams in the world.

“Will he leave? I don’t think he’s leaving anytime soon.”

Elsewhere, Liverpool have announced a new kit deal with Nike that will succeed their current partnership with New Balance from next season.

The Reds won a High Court battle against New Balance in October, paving the way for their new deal which is reportedly worth over £75m a season.

Forbes claims that the partnership will eclipse the deal Manchester United have with adidas.

Billy Hogan, LFC’s managing director and chief commercial officer, told Liverpool’s official website: “Our iconic kit is a key part of our history and identity. We welcome Nike into the LFC family as our new official kit supplier and expect them to be an incredible partner for the club, both at home and globally as we continue to expand our fanbase.

“As a brand, Nike reflects our ambitions for growth, and we look forward to working with them to bring fans new and exciting products.”