Gini Wijnaldum Wants Sparta Rotterdam Return—But Not Any Time Soon

Gini Wijnaldum is one of the first names on the teamsheet for Liverpool, with the player’s tactical flexibility, match intelligence, and willingness to tailor his game to his manager’s needs making him an invaluable part of Jürgen Klopp’s big red crushing machine.

With the player having turned 29 this season and with a contract that expires in 2021, though, there have begun to be questions about what his future holds. Questions he was willing to at least touch on following Monday’s 3-2 league victory over West Ham.

“I sometimes look at Sparta and then I think, ‘well, it would be nice if I played there in my last years,’” he told Rijnmond this week. “In the Netherlands I have played at three clubs and I have had a very good feeling about all three, but you can only choose one.”

However, when it comes to timelines and when he might head back to the Netherlands and, perhaps, rejoin a former club, Wijnaldum was quick to clarify that he’s not thinking of making such a move any time soon—and certainly not after the current season.

“What I am now experiencing is unique,” he noted. “You want to play at the highest level and win prizes. My dream is to stay fit as long as I do, just like [Clarence Seedorf], Zlatan [Ibrahimovic], or [Cristiano] Ronaldo. I want to play at a high level until I am 38.”

There have been rumours over the past month suggesting that Liverpool are seeking to tie Wijnaldum to a new contract and the main sticking point is duration. The expectation, though, is that sooner or later a new deal will be agreed.