Former Liverpool legendary Netherlands international midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum officially joins Al-Ittihad on a free transfer..

Al-Ittihad announced on their official website on Wednesday that former Liverpool legendary Netherlands international midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum has joined the club on a free transfer.

According to the Al-Ittihad's official statement, Wijnaldum has signed on a short-term one-year deal with the club which will only run until the summer of 2027.

After completing his transfer procedures, Wijnaldum, who was interviewed by the Al-Ittihad official website, said: "It is hard to describe how I feel right now; whenever I came here as an opponent, the fans always supported the team with such passion."

"Every time you step into this stadium, you can feel and see the passion with which they support the team. It shows you just what a great club Al-Ittihad is —i t is a club that belongs to the people. The atmosphere reminds me very much of the feeling I experienced when playing for Feyenoord and Liverpool."

"That is not to say the other clubs I played for didn't have passionate fans, but in terms of the level of passion, the supporters here match the intensity found at those two clubs. That is why I say Al-Ittihad is a club for the fans, and that is one of the things that attracted me to join."

About Georginio Wijnaldum

The 35-year-old Wijnaldum was born on November 11, 1990, in Rotterdam, Netherlands. He  is 1.75 meters tall and primarily plays as a center midfielder, but can also play as an attacking midfielder or defensive midfielder. He holds dual Dutch and Surinamese citizenship. He has a younger brother, Giliano, and a half-brother, Rajiv Van La Parra. All three brothers are professional footballers. His cousin, Royston Drenthe, is a former Real Madrid defender.

Wijnaldum joined the Sparta Rotterdam youth academy at the age of six and moved to the Feyenoord youth academy at 14, before making his Feyenoord first-team debut in April 2007, breaking the record by becoming the Feyenoord youngest first-team player to appear in a match. He also helped the team win one KNVB Cup.

In July 2011, Wijnaldum joined PSV Eindhoven for €5 million.

After becoming a member of the Lampen, Wijnaldum quickly established himself as a key player in the first-team, even leading the team to one Eredivisie title, one KNVB Cup, and one Johan Cruyff Shield (Dutch Super Cup).

In July 2015, Wijnaldum moved to Newcastle United for £14.5 million. Although he couldn't help the Magpies avoid relegation, he was still highly praised for consistently scoring in away games.

After Newcastle United's relegation, Wijnaldum joined Liverpool the following July for £25 million.

During his five-year spell with the Reds, Wijnaldum, who developed a strong understanding with captain Jordan Henderson, rose to prominence as one of the world's best midfielders, showcasing his exceptional attacking and defensive abilities.

As one of the vice-captains, Wijnaldum led the team to one Premier League title, one UEFA Champions League title, one UEFA Super Cup title, and one FIFA Club World Cup title.

After his contract expired in the summer of 2021, Wijnaldum joined Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer. However, less than half a season later, he began to have disagreements with the club due to insufficient playing time.

Despite this, he still won a Ligue 1 title with the team.

The following summer, Wijnaldum was loaned-out to Roma. Initially plagued by injuries, he still helped the team reach the UEFA Europa League final.

In September 2023, Wijnaldum joined Al Ettifaq for €10 million.

During his three-year spell with Al Ettifaq, Wijnaldum made 101 appearances for the Saudi Pro League powerhouse in all competitions, scoring 38 goals and providing 17 assists, where he helped the team reach the Saudi King's Cup Round of 16s twice and the Gulf Cup Champions League semi-finals once.

Image source: Internet / Al-Ittihad Official Website