Chelsea have joined the race to sign Georginio Wijnaldum from Liverpool this summer, according to reports.
The Netherlands international looks set to depart Anfield when his contract expires on June 30.
Recent stories suggested Jurgen Klopp had made a last-gasp plea to the Liverpool board to extend Wijnaldum’s contract.
However, the Dutchman is still edging closer to the exit door and looks set to be playing his football elsewhere next term.
Barcelona have been linked with Wijnaldum since last summer and remain in pole position to win the race for his signature.
The 30-year-old played under Ronald Koeman at international level, and his compatriot is keen to bring him to the Camp Nou at the end of the campaign.
It has been reported that Wijnaldum has a verbal agreement with Barcelona, but there has been no confirmation of that rumour.
The La Liga giants are also struggling financially amid the coronavirus pandemic, and it is unclear how much money they will have to spend on the salaries of new recruits.
Moreover, Barcelona are not the only club interested in Wijnaldum, who has been at Liverpool since 2016.
According to Spanish outlet Marca, Chelsea, Juventus and PSG are also vying for his signature.
Liverpool would ordinarily not wish to sell players to a domestic rival, but Wijnaldum’s contractual situation means he can freely choose his next employers.
Thomas Tuchel is thought to be an admirer of the Dutchman and Chelsea could offer him a deal at the end of the season.
However, it is not clear if Wijnaldum would be open to joining the Blues given that he said he would be “devastated” to leave Liverpool last month.
"I am really happy here and my family is happy here but there is no news,” he said in March. “But I would be devastated [if] I didn't play with this team any more, that's for sure.”
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