Liverpool 2-0 Man Utd: Four things we learned – Virgil van Dijk has been robbed

Sign him up

Liverpool have been excellent at protecting their best players by offering contract extensions to their best players when they enter into their last two years or 18 months, but Wijnaldum hasn’t had that treatment yet.

It remains a curious fixture of this season. The Dutchman has been a key part of Klopp’s plans and when he plays like this, you can see why. The ideal situation wouldn’t be to see Gini depart in the summer, even for big money, but if this impasse continues they may have no choice.

At some point the midfield will need to be refreshed. Adam Lallana is set to leave at the end of the season, while Henderson and Wijnaldum are approaching 30. We’ve seen how playing a full throttle brand of football season after season can lead to stagnation – just as Tottenham fans. There will need to be a refresh, but it doesn’t need to be right now.

A three or four year deal would be ideal for Gini. It would protect his worth, tie him to Liverpool for the best years of his career and ensure we get full value for money if a team ever wants to come in with a big offer for the midfielder.