Newcastle United fans have a lot to say about Gini Wijnaldum 10 years after he signed

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10 years ago today, Newcastle United completed the signing of Georginio Wijnaldum, a player who went on to do great things away from Tyneside.

The deal looked fantastic on paper: a versatile young attacking midfielder who had just won the Eredivisie title with PSV Eindhoven.

Steve McClaren signed Georginio Wijnaldum for £14.5million in 2015, much to the delight of the Newcastle United fans who had been calling for more additions after narrowly avoiding relegation the season before.

However, the 2015/16 season turned out to be one of the most embarrassing and forgettable campaigns in the club’s history. The Magpies were relegated after a poor season under McClaren, which could not even be saved by Rafa Benitez when he arrived.

Despite the failings of that season, there were some memorable games. Wijnaldum scored in Newcastle’s 2-0 win against Liverpool, handing Jurgen Klopp his first away defeat as manager of the Reds. Additionally, the Dutchman scored four goals in a thrilling 6-2 win against Norwich City.

10 years on, Newcastle fans have given their verdict on whether the signing of Wijnaldum was even worth it.

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Newcastle United fans don’t have fond memories of Georginio Wijnaldum

Wijnaldum was only part of Newcastle’s first-team squad for one season, but he still did what he could before his move to Liverpool. The midfielder was the Magpies’ top scorer that season with 11 goals, though they were not enough to keep them in the top flight.

Though fans never got to see the best of him, Wijnaldum is still one of Newcastle’s biggest sales. The £25m fee they bagged for him looks like a bargain now, but it was big money at the time.

Despite that, Newcastle fans still seem to have a problem with his performances, mainly away from home.

Taking to the social media platform X, fans delivered their verdict on whether he was even worth his original transfer fee.

“Occasionally at home he was a world beater. Away from home he was invisible. Towards the end he couldn’t have cared less,” said one fan, while another added: “Used us a stepping stone club because he believed his own hype, only turned up for us in home matches (occasionally).”

This fan also highlighted Wijnaldum’s performances away from home, saying: “Underwhelming. Put in some of the most spineless, lazy performances I’ve ever seen. Chelsea away springs to mind.”

“Wijnaldum’s best contribution towards us is that we sold him for a profit. Those stats flatter him so much, especially when you remember 4 of those goals came against Norwich in one game. Flaccid performances away from home and a spineless attitude.” said this unimpressed Newcastle supporter.

Another fan added: “Good player but when it got tough he was s—-, but you could say that about pretty much every player that year.”

Finally, this fan said: “As was often the case for us, the right player, just at the wrong time.”

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What happened to Georginio Wijnaldum after he left Newcastle United?

Like the last fan said, it may have been a case of the right player at the wrong time for Newcastle. He has since gone on to have a fantastic career after his season on Tyneside.

Wijnaldum won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2019 before winning the Premier League a year later. The Dutchman then signed for PSG after five seasons on Merseyside, winning Ligue 1 with the French giants.

There were rumours in 2022 that Wijnaldum could return to Newcastle on loan. However, he joined Jose Mourinho’s Roma for the 2022/23 campaign, although it was cut short after he suffered a nasty leg break.

In 2023, Wijnaldum signed with former Newcastle manager target Steve Gerrard at Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq, where he remains to this day. Now 34, Wijnaldum has just finished his best-ever season, scoring 14 goals.

Fans embraced Wijnaldum when he arrived, but things turned sour after relegation. He has gone on to enjoy a fantastic career, leaving many wondering what could have been for him at Newcastle had they stayed up that season.