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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Dan Kay

Liverpool fans use Rio Ferdinand to send Gini Wijnaldum message to FSG

Liverpool owners FSG have been sent a message by the club's fans following Gini Wijnaldum's imperious performance over Wolves.

Jurgen Klopp's men moved back level on points with Tottenham at the top of the Premier League after a powerhouse showing which marked the long-awaited return of fans to Anfield in fine style.

Mohamed Salah opened the scoring in the first half before Wijnaldum doubled the lead with a sumptuous curling strike from outside the box just before the hour mark, with a Joel Matip header and Nelson Semedo own goal completing the rout.

But it was the performance of Dutch midfielder Wijnaldum, who is out of contract in the summer and can negotiate with overseas clubs from next month, which dominated much of the post-match chat.

The 30-year-old has started 10 of Liverpool's 11 Premier League games so far this season, appearing in 18 of the 19 matches in all competitions, with his tireless energy and versatility again proving invaluable given the injury-hit nature of the Reds' campaign.

Jurgen Klopp revealed after the match that he hopes Wijnaldum will sign a new deal, saying: "I hope so, to be honest. You can see that, he plays all the time. We have a pretty good relationship. I hope so."

The man himself, who made the move to Anfield from Newcastle United in 2016, remained coy when asked similar questions.

He said: “I already said in my previous interview, I don’t talk about my contract situation, I talk about the game,” he told Amazon Prime.

“The club talk about my contract.

“There’s a connection, there was a connection from the first moment I came here, the supporters supported me a lot, but it’s not for me to talk about.”

Paul Scholes on TV punditry duty weighed into the debate questioning why Wijnaldum would want to leave Liverpool for Barcelona when the Reds again look like being serious contenders for major honours at home and abroad.

And Liverpool fans on Twitter channeled a famous quote from Scholes' old Manchester United team mate Rio Ferdinand to show their feelings on the matter.

Ferdinand was memorably quoted in the aftermath of United's dramatic late Champions League win at PSG in March of last year, when current boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was still in temporary charge by saying on TV 'Get the contract out, put it on the table. Let him sign it'.

And Reds fans are urging the Anfield hierarchy to do the same.

Wijnaldum has played 204 games in all competitions for Liverpool since arriving for £25m from Newcastle in the summer of 2016, scoring 20 goals, and helping inspire the Reds to Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, World Club Cup and Premier League title honours.

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