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Former Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum has shared that he spoke with former teammate Mohamed Salah before joining AS Roma this summer. He stated that the former I Giallorossi winger had good things to say about the club which made his decision easier.
Salah spent two years at Roma, one year on loan from Chelsea, and one year permanently. He scored 34 goals and provided 22 assists in 81 matches across all competitions for the Italian side before moving to Anfield in 2017.
Wijnaldum, meanwhile, left the Merseyside club in 2021 after five years at the club after the expiration of his contract. He played 237 matches for the Reds, registering 22 goals and 16 assists in all tournaments.
He joined Paris Saint-Germain last summer but couldn't have much impact, playing 38 matches across all competitions. He has now joined Roma on a season-long loan.
At his unveiling in Rome, Wijnaldum revealed his reasons for joining the Italian side, stating that he also spoke to Salah before joining. The Dutch midfielder said (via Liverpool Echo):
“I wanted to come because of the effort the club made to sign me and because I spoke to Mo Salah and Kevin Strootman about the club and the city and I only heard good stories about it. I also spoke to Achraf Hakimi, even if he played for Inter. He said that Roma is a beautiful club. That convinced me a lot also because I knew the club."
He added:
“We played once with Liverpool and the atmosphere was amazing. I knew I’d play for a club with beautiful supporters, it was the only thing that I knew. What convinced me the most was the effort Tiago Pinto put in to sign me. I felt wanted and appreciated and that made me make the decision.”
Wijnaldum will hope to help Roma reach the Champions League next season by either winning the Europa League or finishing in the top four in Serie A.
Wijnaldum hopes to return to his Liverpool form next season
The Dutch midfielder was labeled a 'perfect midfielder' by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. Wijnaldum admitted that while the label is difficult to gage for him in a different team, he is happy to receive such a compliment from his former manager.
He said:
“I’ve joined a team with good players. I think my quality suits the team’s style, I can attack and defend, when I’m fit, I can do most parts of the game."
He added:
“It’s always difficult to say what’s the perfect midfielder. Maybe I was for Liverpool, but I understand that things can be different for another team. I think everyone has an opinion about what the perfect midfielder is, but if a manager like Klopp says it, of course, I am happy.”
Roma will begin their Serie A campaign against Salernitana at the Stadio Arechi on Sunday, August 14.
