Fabinho admitted that he would miss the presence of Georginio Wijnaldum in the team next season but insisted Liverpool have the quality to replace him.
Speaking to Liverpool Echo, Fabinho has heaped praise on Georginio Wijnaldum, admitting that the team will miss him next season. But the midfielder thinks Liverpool have enough quality to replace him in the middle of the park.
One of the leaders in Jurgen Klopp’s setup at Anfield, Wijnaldum put an end to his career at Liverpool by running down his contract last season. He eventually joined Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer, where he is poised to unite with Lionel Messi, following his shock exit from FC Barcelona.
Wijnaldum’s departure has certainly hit Liverpool hard in terms of transfer activity. Although the club is yet to make a noticeable move in the market, they have been linked with a host of midfielders, including Saul Niguez and Renato Sanches.
One of the club’s senior players in Fabinho, however, has played down speculations over new signings. Speaking to Liverpool Echo, the Brazilian has stated that the club already has too many players in the middle of the park, thereby enough manpower to replace Wijnaldum.
“Our squad has already shown we have good players to replace him,” said Fabinho, who signed a new five-year deal last week. “I think the midfield is the part of the team where we have more players – we have Hendo, me, Thiago, Curtis, Millie, Naby Keita, a lot of players who can play in this position.
“I’m not worried about it (Wijnaldum leaving). Of course, we will miss Gini for the person he is as well, but we have the quality in this group to replace him,” he added.
At the same time, Fabinho has heaped praise on his former Dutch teammate, who had made 237 career appearances at Liverpool, insisting that he will miss him next season. “Gini was a really good friend of mine. Personally, I will miss him a lot.”
“And the team will miss him because he played in all the games, was never injured and was a really good player. He was a leader. Gini was a really special player for this club. For me personally, he helped me a lot since I arrived at the club. Now he is at another team, and I wish him all the best at PSG.”
Wijnaldum was indeed a crucial part of Liverpool’s success in the Premier League and Champions League over the past three years. But with him gone, it will be interesting to see how the club manages to replace him this season. One would imagine someone like Fabinho to step up his game a notch and take even more responsibility.
