Peter Crouch concedes that Barcelona and Real Madrid can be seen as “the Holy Grail” for some players, but the former Liverpool striker believes remaining at Anfield would be “a better option” for Georginio Wijnaldum.
Speculation regarding a possible switch to Spain continues to rage around Netherlands international midfielder Wijnaldum.
Ronald Koeman has made no secret of the fact that he would like to be reunited with his fellow countryman at Camp Nou.
Barca started to sound out a raid for Wijnaldum over the summer, as he prepared to enter the final year of his contract at Liverpool, and those terms continue to run down, with no extension agreed as yet.
That is keeping the rumour mill ticking over, with the talented 30-year-old remaining coy on his future plans.
Crouch believes Wijnaldum should be committing to fresh terms with the reigning Premier League champions, with the grass on Merseyside considered to be greener than that in Catalunya or Madrid.
The ex-Reds frontman told Amazon Prime Sport: “You look at Barcelona and Real Madrid and they're the Holy Grail for some teams but sometimes it doesn't work out. Liverpool are a better option than them.”
Wijnaldum further underlined his value to Liverpool on Sunday when finding the target in a 4-0 victory over Wolves.
Jurgen Klopp is aware of how important the Dutchman is to his plans, with the Liverpool manager saying of contract talks: “I hope [that he signs], to be honest.
“You can see that, he plays all the time. We have a pretty good relationship. I hope so.”
While the likes of Crouch and Klopp are urging Wijnaldum to put pen to paper, the man himself is giving little away when it comes to his intentions.
He said when quizzed again on deal discussions with Liverpool: “I already said it in my previous interviews, I don’t speak about my contract situation.
“I speak about the games. The club should speak about my contract.”
Wijnaldum has been with Liverpool since 2016, taking in 204 appearances for the Reds as they have savoured Champions League, Club World Cup and Premier League title triumphs.