Liverpool will not be signing versatile Lutsharel Geertruida after it had been reported on Sunday that they were closing in on a deal for the Dutchman.The 25-year-old star, who can play at right-back, centre-back, or as in central midfield, is currently on loan at Sunderland from RB Leipzig, but the Reds had been offered the chance to bring him to Anfield.
Geertruida-Sunderland
Arne Slot is currently short in the right-back position after injuries to Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong, which is why Geertruida could have been a shrewd addition to the squad. That said, they are allegedly closing in on a deal to sign Rennes centre-back, Jeremy Jacquet, which is certainly exciting.
He's not the only promising young player on their radar, though.
Liverpool hold talks to sign midfield star
Whilst the Reds may look for an alternative option to Geertruida to fill that hole on the right side of the pitch before the deadline, the reigning Premier League champions may also do business in another position.
lutsharel-geertruida-sunderland
On top of wanting to sign a new right-back because of Bradley and Frimpong's injuries, Slot is looking to add another option in the engine room in the coming hours.
According to Reds reporter Dave OCKOP, Liverpool have reportedly identified AZ Alkmaar central midfielder Kees Smit as a possible addition before the deadline this evening.
The report claims that the Reds have already held talks with the player's representatives to discuss a potential move to Anfield for the Dutchman.
kees-smit-az-alkmaar
It adds that AZ Alkmaar are prepared to cash in on the 20-year-old star, amid interest from a host of clubs, but they do view him as a big talent.
Because of how much they rate him, the Eredivisie outfit are expected to demand a fee of around £30m for the central midfielder, and it remains to be seen whether or not Liverpool are willing to pay that fee today, or if they will wait until the summer.
Why Liverpool should sign Kees Smit
The Reds should splash out the £30m that is required to sign the Dutchman in the coming hours, because he could be Slot's own version of Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton.
England's Adam Wharton reacts
Liverpool have been linked with an interest in the £87m-rated England international, but the AZ Alkmaar talent looks to be available for a fraction of the price.
Smit, who U23 scout Antonio Mango claimed "oozes class", is similar to Wharton in the sense that he is also a classy central midfielder who excels with the ball at his feet, whilst he is also combative out of possession.
Indeed scout Ben Mattinson has described him as a "midfield powerhouse" who "roams around running games in midfield and does everything with a high intensity."
The Dutchman, who scored ten goals and provided eight assists in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign, has produced two goals and two assists in the Eredivisie this term, matching Wharton's assist tally in the Premier League.
25/26 league season Smit Wharton
Appearances 18 21
Goals 2 0
xA 3.40 4.64
Assists 2 2
Long pass accuracy 58% 51%
Successful dribbles per game 1.0 0.5
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, both players are creative midfielders who are efficient long passers, which shows that they can progress play for their teams to break opposition teams down on a regular basis.
On top of that, though, Smit has also won 3.6 duels per game in the Dutch top-flight, whilst Wharton has won 4.8 per game in the Premier League, and this shows that both of them can also mix it up and get physical in the middle of the park, even if their main attributes are in possession.
Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton during training
The benefit with Wharton would be that he is already playing in the Premier League, with Palace, and would come with a degree of certainty about his ability to perform in the division for Liverpool, as he has already proven himself in the league.
Smit, though, is yet to play outside of the Netherlands and it is hard to say how he would adapt to playing in the Premier League, given that he has no prior experience in the country.
However, taking that risk is why Liverpool would only have to pay £30m for him, compared to £87m, and they could land a bargain with their own, cheaper, Wharton if he carries his performances over to English football.
Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones Related
[He'd end Jones' Liverpool career: FSG leading race to sign £61m "machine"](https://www.footballfancast.com/end-jones-liverpool-career-fsg-leading-race-to-sign-camavinga/ "He'd end Jones' Liverpool career: FSG leading race to sign £61m "machine"")
Liverpool are hoping to make midfield changes in 2026.