“Made a mistake" - Rafael van der Vaart on Gini Wijnaldum's Liverpool departure

Former Dutch international Rafael van der Vaart believes that Gini Wijnaldum made a mistake by leaving Liverpool.

The midfielder was reportedly offered a contract by the Reds in early 2021.

But, Wijnaldum ended up departing Liverpool and signing for Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer last summer.

However, the 31-year-old has struggled since joining the biggest club in France.

He has been averaging a WhoScored player rating of 6.42 across the 2021-22 Ligue 1 campaign.

With that being the case, Van der Vaart has implied that Wijnaldum should never have left Anfield.

As quoted by TuttoMercatoWeb, the 39-year-old said the following: “Wijnaldum made a mistake in choosing PSG, while (Steven) Berghuis made an excellent choice, choosing to move from Feyenoord to Ajax. Now Gini will understand why making the right choice is so important.”

Anfield Watch Verdict

Liverpool signed Wijnaldum from Newcastle United for a transfer fee of €27.50 million back in the summer of 2016.

The midfielder went on to score 22 goals and register 16 assists in 237 appearances for the club's first-team.

Wijnaldum also won the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and Premier League title during his time as a Red.

The Dutchman was a regular in Jurgen Klopp's XI during his final season at the club (51 appearances).

Therefore, we agree with Van der Vaart's take. Wijnaldum has made a mistake by leaving Liverpool.

The midfielder was an important cog in Klopp's side. The Anfield faithful loved Wijnaldum.

The grass is not always greener on the other side. But, we do hope that Wijnaldum can find some form at PSG.

We never want to see a former Red struggling. We wish Wijnaldum all the best for the remainder of his football career.