Liverpool hope to sign Newcastle United midfielder Wijnaldum

The club is looking to sign the midfielder this week.

But Liverpool have not yet tabled a formal bid for Wijnaldum.

Newcastle value Wijnaldum – who is very interested in a move back to the Premier League with a huge club like Liverpool – in the £25million-bracket.

Wijanldum came off the bench and scored in Newcastle’s 6-0 win over Dublin side Bohemian on Saturday, but the 25-year-old did not return to Tyneside after the game on the club’s chartered flight.

Instead, Wijnaldum flew to Holland with the club’s permission.

And it is not certain he will be in the squad for tomorrow night’s friendly against Doncaster Rovers at the Keepmoat Stadium.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp – who takes his squad to the USA for a pre-season stint later this week – is looking to strengthen his midfield this summer, and a report yesterday claimed that the Magpies would be interested in taking midfielder Lucas Leiva or full-back Jon Flanagan in part-exchange.

Tottenham Hotspur are also interested in Wijnaldum, who ended last season as the Newcastle’s top scorer with 11 goals.

But the club is unwilling to meet United’s asking price for a player who cost £14.5million a year ago when he joined from Dutch title-winners PSV Eindhoven.

Barring a late move from Tottenham, Liverpool is looking his most likely destination.

Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez – who hopes the club will sign Blackburn Rovers defender Grant Hanley this week – does not want to lose Wijnaldum.

Benitez acknowledged after the Bohemian game that there is a chance more players could follow Papiss Cisse out of the door at St James’s Park this summer.

However, the price will have to be right for Wijnaldum – and his midfield colleague Moussa Sissoko.

“We maybe have to sell some players if we have the right offers, but that’s always normal.”