The Athletic have come up with a shock report, as they have confirmed that Liverpool's potential move for Lutsharel Geertruida is now not expected to materialize. Lutsharel Geertruida , currently playing for Sunderland on loan from RB Leipzig, was a former player of current Liverpool manager Arne Slot when they were both together in Feyenrood.
Transfer shock for Liverpool as Lutsharel Geertruida deal has collapsed
David Ornstein of The Athletic has confirmed that Liverpool have pulled the plug on a potential move for Lutsharel Geertruida despite initial progress. The Reds were ready to move forward for the 25-year-old Netherlands international, with the player open to the switch, but complications surrounding the deal’s wider structure proved too difficult to resolve, leading the club to abandon the pursuit.
Will Liverpool sign another defender now that the Lutsharel Geertruida has collapsed?
Lutsharel Geertruida is currently on a season-long loan at Sunderland from RB Leipzig, with talks having taken place over prematurely ending that arrangement to enable a move to Liverpool. However, the deal was deemed overly complex. Leipzig would have needed to terminate the loan, after which Liverpool would have had to negotiate separate agreements with both the Bundesliga side and Sunderland, who were set to demand a replacement player and financial compensation for Geertruida’s early departure.
Coming to whether Liverpool now look at other defender targets before the transfer window closes, The Athletic report states that Liverpool are not expected to pursue an alternative defensive signing before Monday’s transfer deadline, but remain among the clubs tracking Jeremy Jacquet of Rennes, who is also a target for Chelsea, as a potential summer addition.
The Reds had explored other defensive options, including a possible move for Denzel Dumfries of Inter, which would have involved Curtis Jones moving in the opposite direction. However, that scenario is currently considered unlikely.
Liverpool are in an injury crisis at the moment
Liverpool are currently short of defensive options, with their two recognised senior right-backs, Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong, both sidelined through injury. At centre-back, depth is also limited, as the respective absences of Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni leave only Ibrahima Konaté and Virgil van Dijk as the club’s available senior options.
What did Liverpool manager Arne Slot say regarding potential signings before the transfer deadline?
Arne Slot made it clear following Saturday’s 4-1 victory over Newcastle United that Liverpool were still working to bring in reinforcements ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline.
“We are trying to strengthen the squad, not trying to weaken it,” he said after being asked about speculation of outgoings.
“Let’s see when the window ends.”
Our opinion on Lutsharel Geertruida's Liverpool transfer collapsing
We feel this is a huge blow for Liverpool, as we had previously stated that this is the kind of signing that could ultimately end up deciding if Liverpool end the Premier season in a Champions League spot or not. The fact that Arne Slot was so close to getting a player he previously knew makes it a bigger blow for the manager as well.
However, the worrying thing for us is The Athletic confirming that Liverpool may not end up looking at any other defender before the transfer. Liverpool's depth at the back is seriously worrying at the moment, and we feel they should get some defender in before the window ends, even if it's a short-term deal. Any potential injury to Virgil Van Dijk or Ibrahima Konate could have catastrophic consequences on their season, and not signing a centre back before the transfer window could end up being a mistake that results in Liverpool playing in the Europa League next season.
