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Wijnaldum denies reported move to Barcelona

The Hague, Mar 23 (efe-epa).- Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum on Tuesday denied having reached an agreement to join FC Barcelona next season.

“They’ll always talk about those things and about my future, but as I’ve said on other occasions I don’t have any news yet,” the Netherlands international told Dutch TV station NOS.

Wijnaldum, who has joined his national team’s camp ahead of three FIFA World Cup qualifying matches late this month, said he has read the reports linking him with a move to the Catalan giants.

“That’s what they’re saying in the media, but I don’t have any news. When there’s news, I’ll talk about it, but there’s no news. I’m here now to talk about the matches against Turkey, Latvia and Gibraltar,” he said.

The Sunday Times reported that the 30-year-old, whose contract with Liverpool expires at season’s end, has signed a pre-contract agreement to join Barcelona once he becomes a free agent this summer.

Barcelona head coach Ronald Koeman reportedly wanted to acquire his countryman when he took over at Camp Nou last summer.

Wijnaldum, who joined Liverpool in 2016 from Newcastle United, has played 40 games across all competitions with the Reds this season.

He has hoisted four titles with the English team, including the Champions League, Premier League, FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup.

Since making his international debut in 2011, he has made 70 appearances with Netherlands’ national team and scored 21 goals.

The Rotterdam native worked his way through the Feyenoord youth system to the first team, having joined that Dutch club from the Sparta Rotterdam academy. He moved to PSV Eindhoven in 2011 and made his jump to the Premier League four years later. EFE-EPA

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