GEORGINIO WIJNALDUM was in Liverpool last night to finalise his £25million switch from Newcastle.
The Dutch midfielder travelled to Merseyside for a medical after a fee was agreed between the two clubs in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Wijnaldum, 25, is expected to pen a five-year deal with the Reds after Jurgen Klopp’s men beat off competition for his signature from rivals Everton and Tottenham.
And the ex-PSV Eindhoven skipper should soon join Liverpool on their pre-season tour of America.
Moussa Sissoko, 26, is now likely to be the next high-profile departure from St James’ Park.
And after missing out on Wijnaldum, Everton are now in for the £35m-rated Frenchman.
The Toffees, though, face competition from Juventus, who see Sissoko as a potential replacement for Manchester United-bound Paul Pogba.
Like Wijnaldum, Rafa Benitez had hoped to keep hold of Sissoko.
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But the Toon boss is wary his repeated pleas to be allowed to leave threaten upsetting his dressing room ahead of the start of their Championship season.
Sissoko has been granted extra time off after his exploits in helping France reach the Euro 2016 final, and is not due back on Tyneside until August 1.
Wijnaldum’s last act in a Newcastle shirt, meanwhile, was his 11-minute appearance as a substitute in Wednesday night’s 2-2 pre-season draw at Doncaster, having initially been left off the team sheet.
Yesterday, his brother Giordon posted a picture of Wijnaldum in a Liverpool kit, alongside an emoji of a bottle of champagne and the message, “Soon”.
While Ryan Babel, the former Liverpool and Holland winger, tweeted a message to his countryman, as he posted: “Good luck boy! They will appreciate you.” Benitez had been looking to sign Reds midfielder Lucas as part of the deal to take Wijnaldum to Anfield.
But any move for the Brazilian, who Benitez worked with at Liverpool, would now be a separate transfer.
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