Arsenal and Newcastle United will reportedly face competition from Inter Milan in the race to sign PSG misfit Georginio Wijnaldum on loan in January.
According to a report from Fichajes, Inter Milan have joined the race to sign Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, who is a transfer target for Premier League clubs Arsenal and Newcastle United ahead of the winter window.
Wijnaldum joined PSG only this past summer, moving from Liverpool after his contract with the Reds ran down. However, the 31-year-old has struggled to carve out a place for himself at the French capital club, finding himself warming the benches more often than not under manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Indeed, Wijnaldum has started just seven Ligue 1 games so far in his debut season in Paris, with the likes of Ander Herrera, Marco Verratti, Idrissa Gueye preferred over him time and again by Pochettino. Having grown disillusioned with his situation at Parc des Princes, the Netherlands international is angling for an exit in January and could be allowed to leave on loan.
This development has seemingly alerted clubs across Europe, with teams in the Premier League especially lining up to sign the ex-Liverpool midfielder. Indeed, the likes of Arsenal and Newcastle United have shown an interest in taking Wijnaldum on loan in January, with Inter Milan also now entering the race.
Arsenal reinforced their midfield in the summer with Albert Sambi Lokonga, who has performed admirably in his debut season. However, Mohamed Elneny is in the final year of his contract and may leave in January, while Granit Xhaka has had injury problems to deal with.
With Thomas Partey suffering from a severe dip in form, Mikel Arteta & co. could benefit from signing a Premier League-proven midfielder like Wijnaldum, who could provide a boost to their hopes of a top-six finish. However, they will have to stave off competition from relegation battlers Newcastle United.
The Magpies, who had Wijnaldum on their books for a season in 2015/16, are keen on bringing him back to St. James’ Park to aid their battle for survival in the Premier League. Eddie Howe’s men are second from bottom in the league table and need some inspiration to turn things around. And a player of Wijnaldum’s experience and pedigree could spark a turnaround in the second half of the season.
But with Inter Milan also now entering the fray, Arsenal and Newcastle will find it difficult to land the 31-year-old. The Serie A champions are competing with AC Milan and Napoli to hold on to their title. But with a distinct lack of quality options in midfield beyond the first-choice trio of Nicolo Barella, Marcelo Brozovic and Hakan Calhanoglu, it makes sense for Simone Inzaghi to explore the possibility of landing a quality operator like Wijnaldum.
While Arsenal, Newcastle and Inter Milan battle to sign him, the Dutchman has also been offered to the likes of Tottenham and West Ham United, potentially setting up an intriguing battle for the loan signing of Wijnaldum.
