Georginio Wijnaldum is set to complete a move to Al-Ettifaq this summer as the Saudi side have agreed a fee with the Parisian side, PSG.
The Dutch midfielder has been told he is surplus to requirements at the Parc Des Princes and the midfielder will now link up with Jordan Henderson as well as former Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard at Al-Ettifaq.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the deal is now at the ‘here we go!’ stage and the midfielder will fly to the Middle East after the two clubs agreed on a deal for the midfielder.
Romano first reported the Saudi club’s interest in the former Liverpool midfielder. PSG were keen to sell given that he has been training in the “loft” with the “undesirable” since returning from his loan spell at AS Roma according to a report from L’Equipe.
The fee for the midfielder will be around €9 million and the Dutchman will finally depart the French side after a tough time at the Ligue 1 champions.
Gerrard’s impact
According to Romano, Gerrard had a phone call with Wijnaldum and has seemingly been the catalyst behind the midfielder’s move to the Saudi side.
Contracts are currently being checked before the deal can be officially ratified. Unlike European teams, the transfer deadline for teams in the Saudi Pro League is the 20th of September.
Gerrard’s business may well be complete following the completion of the deal for the Dutchman. The Saudi side have also signed former Lyon striker Moussa Dembele as well as Henderson from Liverpool.