“They need someone like him” – Gabriel Agbonlahor urges former Liverpool man to ‘come back’ to Anfield

Former Aston Villa forward Gabriel Agbonlahor has called for Liverpool to re-sign Dutch midfielder Giorginio Wijnaldum. The 31-year old left Liverpool during the summer as a free agent to join French giants PSG.

Wijnaldum has only recently become a fixture for Mauricio Pochettino's side after a difficult start to life at the French club. The midfielder has made 22 appearances across all competitions this season, scoring three goals and providing one assist in the process.

Agbonlahor, however, believes that Liverpool should make a move for the Dutch international to bring him back to Anfield and that the Reds have not been able to replace the quality of Wijnaldum in midfield. He said:

"They haven’t replaced Wijnaldum. They need someone like him, to get on the ball and make things happen. Would they have him back? Come back. It’s going to cost you £100k-a-week, but come back."

Wijnaldum has already been linked with a move back to the Premier League. The likes of Newcastle, Arsenal, and Tottenham are all rumored to be interested in the midfielder over the past few months.

Despite Agbonlahor's request, however, it's highly unlikely that Wijnaldum will return to Liverpool in the future. The Dutchman had ample opportunities to extend his contract with the club last season but opted to leave in free agency instead. It now remains to be seen where the midfielder ends up going if he does decide to leave PSG in the future.

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"He’s not really gone to the next level" - Agbonlahor on Liverpool midfielder

Oxlade Chamberlain in action for Liverpool

One player who could have replaced Wijnaldum in midfield for Liverpool is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. However, Agbonlahor believes the Englishman has not progressed enough since his move from Arsenal in 2017.

Speaking after Liverpool's 1-0 loss against Leicester City in midweek, Agbonlahor slammed Oxlade-Chamberlain for his performance on the night. He said:

"Oxlade-Chamberlain was very poor. I was watching Chamberlain and I am thinking, ‘you are not doing enough to be in a team that wants to challenge for the title’. Literally, two minutes later, Chamberlain comes off and Keita comes on. And I think that’s a problem for Liverpool.

"I look at Chamberlain since he left Arsenal to Liverpool. He’s not really gone to the next level. You look at England’s midfielders. You can’t see him breaking into England’s squad again, can you? For me, he’s not doing enough."