Former Newcastle United star closes in on surprise Serie A move

Former Newcastle United star Gini Wijnaldum is set to end his underwhelming spell at French giants Paris Saint-Germain.

The Dutch international is closing in on a season-long loan move to Serie A club Roma and there are reports a deal could be completed before the weekend.

Wijnaldum joined Newcastle in a £14.5million deal from PSV Eindhoven in the summer of 2015 and was one of the few highlights of a dismal campaign at St James Park.

The attacking midfielder scored 11 goals in 40 appearances in all competitions but was unable to prevent the Magpies from suffering relegation into the Championship.

Addressing his time on Tyneside following a move to Liverpool, Wijnaldum said: “I have great memories. I enjoyed the club, I enjoyed the city, I enjoyed the people, I enjoyed my teammates.

“That’s also the reason that I felt free there and I could play the way I was playing and I scored goals.

“I only have good memories; the only bad thing is that we were relegated, but besides that I had a great time there and my family had a great time there.

“Once in a while, I go back to Newcastle because I love the city.”

Wijnaldum went on to enjoy a more produtive spell at Liverpool by helping the Reds to the Premier League title and a Champions League Final win over Tottenham Hotspur after moving to Anfield in a £25million deal in July 2016.

His five-year stay on Merseyside came to an end last summer when he joined PSG on a three-year deal but Wijnaldum made just 22 starts in all competitions during a frustrating stint in the French capital.

The likes of Atletico Madrid, Aston Villa and former club PSV were all reportedly keen on securing the midfielder this summer - but he now looks set to join a Roma side managed by former Manchester United and Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho.

Multiple outlets across France and Italy have reported Roma have agreed a loan deal for Wijnaldum and could make the move permanent for a fee of around £6.3million next summer.

The 31-year-old is said to be travelling to Italy to undergo a medical on Friday morning and could officially complete a move to the Stadio Olimpico ahead of the weekend.