Former Liverpool captain and manager Graeme Souness has accused Georginio Wijnaldum of 'not playing with the same intensity' as he has in previous seasons.
The Dutchman is inside the final few months of a contract signed back in July 2016 and can walk away as a free agent this summer.
Wijnaldum was heavily linked to a cut-price move to Barcelona last summer following the arrival of former Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman.
The former Newcastle United man can also speak to teams outside of England about a pre-contract deal and revealed recently he is no nearer to signing fresh terms with Liverpool.
Despite the contract impasse, Wijnaldum has once again been one of Jurgen Klopp's most utilised players, featuring in 44 games for the Reds so far this season.
But Souness believes that in order to get Liverpool back firing, Reds boss Klopp needs to rebuild his midfield in the upcoming summer transfer window.
The Scot also believes Wijnaldum is going to leave the Reds for Barcelona this summer and accused him of taking his foot off the gas this season.
“Injuries have hurt Liverpool badly, but they have not played with the same intensity either. Some players have felt sorry for themselves,” the Sky pundit wrote in his Sunday Times column.
“They have not responded as well as Jurgen Klopp would have expected or wanted them to. They felt it wasn’t their year and have meekly accepted that.
"They need to rebuild their midfield — it’s the catalyst for their pressing. People talk about the strikers, but a lot of their success was based on getting the ball back so quickly because of Georginio Wijnaldum, Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Fabinho putting a shift in.
“Wijnaldum is leaving for Barcelona and I’m not sure how I’d have reacted to a player who made it clear he was off, how that goes down in a dressing-room. The players may make a joke of it, but it also may not sit well with all of them.
“He’s not played with the same intensity this season, Henderson has been absent with injuries, Naby Keïta has not shown he can step up, Milner’s another year older, Fabinho’s often filled in at centre back and Thiago Alcantara has come into a team that’s been huffing and puffing.”
