Gini Wijnaldum is at risk of a summer clear out

Liverpool midfielder Gini Wijnaldum is at risk of summer clear out after his contract dispute rumbles on.

With 18 months left on his contract, most teams would be scrambling to extend a key players time at their club and protect his value.  There has been very little noise from Anfield suggesting Jurgen Klopp and Michael Edwards are desperate about doing that.

Sky Sports has reported that Wijnaldum wants to stay – but why wouldn’t he? Liverpool are on the up, they’re primed to win the Premier League and will certainly challenge for European honours in the years to come.

But the arrival of Takumi Minamino this January and potential for Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to continue improving -plus Marko Grujic coming back from his two years at Hertha Berlin – could mean Gini is at risk of a summer clear out.

We also have Herbie Kane doing well with Doncaster Rovers and now Hull City, he may be around the first team picture for 2020/2021. That’s also the last summer Liverpool would be able to extract any value from Gini Wijnaldum, who is edging towards the end of his deal and the start of his 30s.

And it might not be such a bad idea to begin slowly turning over players. Mauricio Pochettino wanted to do it with Tottenham, but wasn’t able to and form nosedived as his squad got tired and lost their spark.

If Klopp wants to stop the same thing happening here, he will have to move some lads on while bringing in those eager to prove themselves on the bigger stage.

James Milner will stay for another two years, but Adam Lallana looks set to leave and could be joined by Wijnaldum. That’s two older, experienced players who have been at the club a long time making way for fresh blood.

As I see it, that puts the Dutchman at risk of a summer clear out.