“I can’t say I’m completely happy”
Gini Wijnaldum has admitted that he is “not completely happy” at Paris Saint-Germain – just four months after his move from Liverpool.
The 30-year-old joined the Parisians on a free transfer this summer, but has made just 11 appearances so far this season, starting in six.
The Dutchman has revealed that life in Paris is “difficult” at the moment under manager Mauricio Pochettino, with the Argentine experimenting with different formations since the summer arrival of Lionel Messi.
“I can’t say I’m completely happy,” Wijnaldum said, according to NOS. “Because the situation is not what I wanted. But that’s football and I’ll have to learn to deal with that.
“I’m a fighter. I have to stay positive and work hard to turn it around.
“I have played a lot in recent years, was always fit and also did very well. This is something different and that takes getting used to.
“I was really looking forward to the new step and then this happens. It is very difficult.”
It's not going as planned for Gini Wijnaldum at PSG 😬
He's played just over 90 minutes of league football in the last month 😳#bbcfootball pic.twitter.com/7sVxIVpSae
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) October 12, 2021
Wijnaldum has played just 502 minutes this season, failing to complete a full 90 in any of PSG’s last six Ligue 1 games.
The former Liverpool man has also accumulated just 57 minutes in the Champions League so far, coming on for 12 minutes in PSG’s 2-0 victory against Manchester City last month.
It appears that Ander Herrera and Idrissa Gueye are viewed as Pochettino’s favoured midfielder pairing right now, with Wijnaldum’s lack of game time starting to concern Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal.
“Of course I’m worried. I already talked to him about that when I arrived. But the alarm bells are not going off yet,” he said.
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- Kylian Mbappe’s mum confirms he is in talks with PSG over new contract
- Paris Saint-Germain and FFP: How PSG can afford Messi, Neymar and more
