Liverpool have reportedly identified AZ Alkmaar midfielder Teun Koopmeiners as a replacement for Georginio Wijnaldum, who will soon be out of contract.
According to a report from Italian publication Calciomercato, Liverpool have set their sights on AZ Alkmaar midfielder and captain Teun Koopmeiners as the long-term replacement for soon-to-be free agent Georginio Wijnaldum.
The reigning Premier League champions are preparing for life after the 30-year-old Dutchman who is in the final few months of his contract with the club. With talks over a new deal not progressing as planned and Wijnaldum seemingly headed to a potential transfer to Barcelona, Liverpool are scouring the market for a replacement.
Rodrigo De Paul of Udinese as well as Sheffield United’s Norwegian international Sander Berge have been touted as the candidates to replace Wijnaldum at Anfield. Now, another name has been thrown into the hat in the form of AZ Alkmaar’s Koopmeiners.
The 23-year-old rose through the academy at AZ and made his breakthrough into the senior team in 2017. Since then, he has gone on to rack up 147 appearances for the club, in which he has 43 goals and 17 assists, despite largely playing as a defensive midfielder.
Elevated to the club captain status, Koopmeiners made his debut for the Netherlands national team in October last year and has enjoyed a fine 2020/21 campaign at club level, posting amazing numbers of 17 goals and 7 assists from 37 matches across all competitions.
Koopmeiners’ growth in the Dutch Eredivisie seems to have put him on the radars of Liverpool, who are now looking to swoop for him as a long-term replacement for Wijnaldum. The 23-year-old is contracted with AZ till the summer of 2023 but a chance to make the step up to the Premier League could prove to be a change too good turn down.
At the same time, Liverpool would be getting a young and dynamic midfielder who is adept at his duties as a No. 6 while being a consistent source of goals from the middle of the park as well. It now remains to be seen if the Reds’ interest in the 23-year-old leads to something substantial in the summer transfer window.
