Wijnaldum signing gives Newcastle something to shout about
Published:
Newcastle fans will be delighted to have woken up to news their club have at last managed to tie down one of their primary transfer targets in the shape of PSV Eindhoven midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum.
The Dutchman becomes Steve McClaren’s first signing for his new club and although the Magpies have shelled out £14.5m on the 24-year-old, it looks to be a great start to the manager’s recruitment.
Alongside Manchester United signing Memphis Depay, the versatile attacking midfielder was an integral part of PSV’s title-winning Eredvisie season, skippering the side to glory.
While Depay stole many of the headlines, Wijnaldum still netted 14 times himself and was the recognised playmaker for the Dutch champions, creating just over one chance per game according to WhoScored.com, making three assists.
Although there is no guarantee he will succeed in the Premier League, McClaren will be hoping he can extract this creative spark from his new man and build a team around him.
Wijnaldum was also a major player for the Holland team that made it all the way to the semi-finals of last summer’s World Cup.
His ability to adapt to different roles drew praise from coach Louis van Gaal and this flexibility is sure to be a great asset for McClaren as he attempts to mould his new team’s idientity at St.James’ Park.
Speaking at the finals last year Van Gaal said: “Wijnaldum used to play on the right wing, but is playing in midfield now. I really like players like him. He has really surprised me.
According to many reports, McClaren is not far away from the capture of Anderlecht striker Alexsandar Mitrovic either, which could pave the way for Papiss Cisse’s departure.
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