Liverpool have reportedly agreed personal terms with versatile Dutch defender Lutsharel Geertruida, currently on loan at Sunderland from RB Leipzig.
The Reds’ defence this season has been about as watertight as a paper umbrella in a Merseyside monsoon.
The hope was that Marc Guehi would fix everything – but Manchester City, armed with bottomless pockets and a worrying lack of consequences, had other ideas.
(Seriously, does anyone know what’s happening with those 115 FFP charges? Or are we all just pretending that never happened?)
Anyway. Back to this Geertruida deal.
Here, Transfer News Blitz writer Taylor Stephenson breaks down the potential deal, the complications, and why this could either be a masterstroke or a last-minute migraine.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Premier League transfer deadline day: Panic buys, big rumours and total nonsense
LOVE TRIANGLE
Arne Slot knows Geertruida inside out, having managed him at Feyenoord, and the Liverpool boss has apparently been angling for a reunion for quite some time.
According to the godfather of transfer news himself, Fabrizio Romano, personal terms between Liverpool and Geertruida are already wrapped up with a neat little bow.
The problem? There are still three clubs involved – and that’s where things get sticky.
Sunderland currently holds the keys. Geertruida is on loan with the Black Cats, and crucially, there’s no reported termination clause in that deal.
Reports suggest Sunderland are willing to let the Dutchman go – but only if they can line up a suitable replacement and receive some form of compensation.
Fair enough, really. Nobody likes being left short-handed, especially this late in the window.
If those boxes are ticked, the rest should be fairly straightforward… in theory.
WHERE DO THEY TARGET?
This is where the real headache begins.
Geertruida has played right across the back line and in central midfield under Régis Le Bris this season. Replacing that level of versatility is like trying to replace a Swiss Army knife with a spoon.
If I were a betting man – which I am, though history suggests I probably shouldn’t be – I’d guess Sunderland will look at either central midfield or right-back as priority areas.
But finding someone who can do all of what Geertruida does? Good luck with that, lads.
LEVERAGE
Liverpool’s urgency could play right into Sunderland’s hands.
One possible pressure point is a loan move for Curtis Jones. Slot might not be thrilled about losing him, but Le Bris will be even less keen on waving goodbye to Geertruida without a meaningful replacement.
Swings and roundabouts.
Sunderland could also push for an option to buy, similar to the one currently attached to Geertruida’s deal, which, on paper at least, feels like a scenario where everyone walks away moderately happy. Or at least not furious.
DEADLINE DAY: DELIGHT OR DISASTER?
This one is absolutely worth watching as the transfer window slams shut.
Everything hinges on Sunderland’s ability to bring in a replacement – and quickly.
Liverpool doesn’t appear to have many alternatives lined up either, which adds an extra layer of tension.
This could go either way. And if Sunderland’s demands aren’t met, don’t expect them to roll over just because it’s deadline day.
They’ve got leverage, they know it, and they won’t be bullied into a bad deal.
Buckle up. This one could be fun – or very, very annoying.
READ NEXT: Danny Murphy weighs in on Liverpool’s transfer woes and Mo Salah’s Anfield future
