Report: Koeman wants Wijnaldum to help reinvigorate Barcelona midfield

Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman has demanded the club does whatever it can to sign Georginio Wijnaldum from Liverpool, sources told ESPN's Alex Kirkland and Moises Llorens.

The Camp Nou outfit is prioritizing selling players before it buys - Luis Suarez is among those reportedly headed for the exit - but has apparently agreed to support its new head coach by pushing to buy Wijnaldum from the Premier League champions.

Koeman is an admirer of the 29-year-old from his time as Netherlands boss - the team he oversaw before taking over Barcelona last month - where he paired him in midfield with Frenkie de Jong, who is about to start his second season with the Blaugrana.

The tactician believes Wijnaldum would significantly boost his options in his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation.

Wijnaldum's arrival would contribute to a new-look midfield for Barcelona, with Miralem Pjanic joining from Juventus and youngsters Riqui Puig and Carles Alena expected to compete for more minutes in the 2020-21 term. Ivan Rakitic and Arthur Melo have already left for Sevilla and Juventus, respectively, while Sergio Busquets and the aforementioned De Jong are still with the club.

Veteran midfielder Arturo Vidal is in advanced talks to leave Barcelona for Inter Milan, ESPN understands. Rafinha, who returned to Catalonia following a loan spell with Celta Vigo, is reportedly interesting Lazio, according to various outlets including Football Italia.