Former Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman has claimed club president Joan Laporta deliberately blocked a transfer move for Gini Wijnaldum in 2021.
La Blaugrana were tracking the former PSV midfielder ahead of the 2021/22 campaign following his decision to leave Liverpool on a free transfer.
However, despite making positive steps towards reuniting Koeman with his former La Oranje international at the Camp Nou, Barcelona were beaten to his signature by Paris Saint-Germain.
PSG were in a position to offer a higher salary than Barcelona with the Catalans declining to increase their offer.
The move was initially viewed as a sign of Barcelona’s ongoing financial issues but Koeman believes it was motivated by Laporta determination to undermine him.
“I tried to sign Wijnaldum for Barca but I failed because the President wanted to annoy me more than bring in a player”, Koeman told an interview with Dutch outlet AD.
“That delayed the operation and he opted for PSG. Otherwise, he would have played for Barcelona.”
Wijnaldum has struggled to hold on to a regular spot in Paris, with just 18 league starts under Mauricio Pochettino in 2021/22, and new PSG boss Christophe Galtier allowed him to join AS Roma on a season long loan in August.
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