Wijnaldum's agent reveals how PSG beat Barca to his signature

PSG recently confirmed the signing of Georginio Wijnaldum from Liverpool, where he signed for a free transfer on a three-year deal. Despite being close to joining Barcelona, a last-minute offer from the French side changed his destination, as Wijnaldum's agenet Humphry Nijman revealed.

"We had talks with Barca. We intended to reach an agreement with them. Eveything was at an advanced stage. Koeman would have loved to have had him at Barcelona because they knew each other from his time as Netherlands coach ", he told podcast 'Here we go'.

What happened next which turned the tables on these negotations? Well, PSG pressed until they eventually convinced Wijnaldum. "They put an offer on the table. They showed their interest at the same time as Barca... and we had to choose. Both clubs are fantastic. For any player, Barca is a great challenge, but so is PSG. In the end, Wijnaldum opted for Paris", he said.

"Leonardo, the sporting director, was serious and professional. This pushed Wijnaldum towards choosing PSG. Pochettino spoke to him as well. He told him the role he would have in the team. This had already happened six years ago, when he signed for Newcastle, and the Argentine wanted him at Tottenham", he added.

To finish, the agent confirmed that there were other clubs inquiring about the ex-Liverpool player. "Bayern were interested. Inter inquired about him as well, but then the economic issues arrived. This would have been an option had it not been for that [economic difficulty]", he concluded.