Surprise MLS Team ‘in Talks’ to Sign Former Premier League Star

One of the prominent stars from Liverpool’s 2019 UEFA Champions League title and 2020 English Premier League victory could be headed to Major League Soccer, as Georginio Wijnaldum has been heavily linked with Real Salt Lake.

While no deal has been agreed, The Athletic’s Tom Bogert reports that the club and player are “in talks” about a potential deal, which would make the Dutch winger one of the biggest stars ever to grace the team that plays out of Sandy, Utah.

Now 35 years old and five years removed from his Liverpool days, Wijnaldum is a free agent after his nearly three-year tenure with Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ettifaq came to an end this summer, opening the door for a potential move beyond the Middle East.

While his days with the Reds stand out—recording 22 goals and 16 assists in 237 total games to help the team reach massive heights under manager Jurgen Klopp, he has had plenty of other success at the club level. He began his professional career with Dutch giants Feyenoord and PSV before joining Newcastle United, which prompted his move to Liverpool.

Since leaving Anfield, he went on to play for Paris Saint-Germain and AS Roma before stepping outside Europe in the summer of 2023, amid a rush of European stars moving to Saudi Arabia around that time.

Internationally, he has 28 goals in 96 caps with the Netherlands. He played a key role in the team’s run to a third-place finish at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where he scored his only goal in a 3–0 beatdown of the hosts in the third-place match after falling to Argentina in the semifinal. He was not included in the 2026 World Cup squad.

If Wijnaldum joins Real Salt Lake, he would become the latest star signing in MLS, joining the likes of other ex-European stars and soon-to-be Western Conference foes: Thomas Müller of the Vancouver Whitecaps; Son Heung-min and Hugo Lloris of LAFC; and Marco Reus and Sergi Roberto of the L.A. Galaxy, among others.

Why Real Salt Lake?

Real Salt Lake has enjoyed a busy transfer window. Wijnaldum would cushion some of the losses the team has endured, giving it a better chance to compete in an increasingly high-spending and competitive Western Conference.

Already this summer, RSL transferred star winger and 19-year-old USMNT hopeful Zavier Gozo to Premier League side Crystal Palace for nearly $15 million, and there also remains interest in USMNT midfielder Diego Luna, despite his dip in form this season and missing the U.S. men’s national team’s World Cup roster.

Sitting eighth in the conference with 14 games to go and just one point above the MLS Cup playoff cutoff, manager Pablo Mastroeni’s team is looking for further attacking firepower to help lock down a place in the postseason. Wijnaldum could be that piece and either play relatively out of position on the wing or shift into midfield alongside Luna, in an effort to help elevate Sergi Solans and former Lens attacker Morgan Guilavogui up top.

RSL would likely need to shift their salary and roster structure to add Wijnaldum, with center back Justen Glad and Guilavogui currently taking up the two allotted Designated Player slots in the club’s U22 Initiative MLS roster profile.

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