'I Never Had a Conversation With the Club': Liverpool Star Laughs Off Rumours of a Summer Exit

Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum has claimed that he laughed when he caught wind of the rumours linking him with a move away this summer, insisting he has never spoken to the club about leaving.

As of recently, there has been a bit of speculation around the future of certain fringe players at Anfield, as the Reds look to bring the net spend down following a summer of heavy investment.

However, even though the likes of Simon Mignolet, Ragnar Klavan and Divock Origi may all be likely to depart before the European transfer deadline passes, Wijnaldum is convinced he is going nowhere.

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While the Dutchman faces more midfield competition in the shape if Naby Keita and Fabinho, he insists that the club will always look to strengthen no matter how good their squad is and he isn't looking to leave.

Wijnaldum, who was specifically linked with a move to Turkish side Fenerbahce in the wake of the summer arrivals, is confused as to how the talk came about.

“I laughed about it,” he said, via The Guardian. “I also read I asked the club if I could leave. I never had a conversation with the club. People from the outside just see Liverpool are buying players, so players who are already here are going to leave. Liverpool will always buy good players, even if they already have good players. That’s normal.

“I think it has to be normal, because that means you’re a big club. But that was something from the media that I was going to Turkey. Maybe because Phillip Cocu is manager [of Fenerbahce] and I worked with him for two years. I don’t know who put it in the media but it wasn’t me.”

With Keita having made his Premier League debut against West Ham on Sunday, Wijnaldum seemed to be impressed.

“He has a lot of qualities," he continued. "He can provide assists, he can score goals. He showed it in Germany. He can keep the ball and give us – I don’t want to say time to rest – but time to keep the ball as a team. I think he can regain the ball, his counter-pressing is good. I think he’s a good signing.”