Setback For Barcelona As $32M Target May Decide To Remain At Liverpool This Summer: Report

Gini Wijnaldum may stay at Liverpool as he reportedly had "positive talks" with Jurgen Klopp on Wednesday over his future at the club ahead of the 2020-21 season.

Wijnaldum, who joined Liverpool from Newcastle United in 2016 at a transfer fee of $32 million, has just one year left in his current deal with the Anfield side but is yet to sign an extension. Amid this, he has been heavily linked with a move to FC Barcelona since the arrival of his former Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman at Nou Camp.

Koeman has been given the task of rebuilding the Catalans' side and the Dutch boss wants Wijnaldum to be a part of it.

It was previously reported that while Barcelona board members were forcing Koeman to sign Thiago Alcantara, who decided to leave Bayern Munich this summer, the coach maintained his desire to bring Wijnaldum to Spain.

The Netherlands midfielder missed Liverpool's preseason matches as he was on international duty at the UEFA Nations League. He returned to Liverpool's training center in Melwood on Wednesday, and that gave a chance to the player to have the much-awaited one-on-one discussion with Klopp, who was also believed to be keen on retaining Wijnaldum at Liverpool.

Sports website Sky Sports has claimed that the pair's important meeting has gone well. It is understood that there has been a difference of opinion between the club and Wijnaldum over the terms of a new deal. However, the Sky Sports report has stated that after the "positive talks" with Klopp, the midfielder is expecting to receive a new deal from The Reds soon.

The 29-year-old was a core member of Liverpool over the last two seasons, where the club tasted immense success under the management of Klopp. Their first successful tournament was the 2018-19 Champions League, which they won by defeating Tottenham in the finals. It was their second consecutive Champions League final. They lost the 2017-18 final to Real Madrid in Kyiv. Klopp's Liverpool went on to win the UEFA Super Cup in 2019 before they clinched their maiden FIFA Club World Cup.

Klopp's biggest triumph happened last season when Liverpool finally won the Premier League, their first league title in 30 long years.