Former Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman has revealed the club president Joan Laporta blocked a move for a former Liverpool star.
Georginio Wijnaldum left the Premier League side at the end of the 2020/2021 season when his contract expired.
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The Netherlands international was heavily linked with a move to the Camp Nou where he would reunite with Koeman, but the player ended up moving to Paris Saint-Germain.
Koeman has now revealed that Laporta delayed the process to annoy him.
"I tried to sign Wijnaldum, but I failed because the President wanted to irritate me more than he wanted to sign the player," Koeman told AD.
"That delayed the operation, and for that reason he decided to go to PSG. If not, he would have played at Camp Nou."
Those comments were similar to Wijnaldum's remarks about why a move to Barcelona did not happen.
"We were negotiating for weeks with Barcelona, but the club did not take the decisive step and Paris Saint-Germain appeared and were more quick and decisive," the midfielder said, as per Mundo Deportivo.
"It was difficult to say no to Barca because they were one of the first clubs to take an interest in me and they are one of the big clubs, but I am happy with my decision."
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