Liverpool tried to sign Lutsharel Geertruida during the winter transfer window amid their defensive issues.
There will be a brief reunion at the Stadium of Light. However, it is not the one that Arne Slot or Lutsharel Geertruida had hoped for.
There were aspirations that the former Feyenoord head coach and captain would reconvene on Merseyside. Having both been at the fulcrum of a heady period at the Rotterdam club, with the Eredivisie title and KNVB Cup being yielded, no doubt the dream this time around would be more silverware.
Geertruida was identified as someone who would give the Reds both depth and versatility. The Netherlands international is capable of operating as a full-back, centre-back and defensive midfielder.
There was always going to be a caveat when it came to the pursuit of Geertruida, though. Liverpool must have known that trying to sign the 25-year-old during a loan spell at Sunderland from RB Leipzig would be difficult. There were three parties involved, with the deal complex.
In fairness to Sunderland, they were open to allowing Geertruida end his time on Wearside to move to Liverpool. They recognised it was an opportunity he could not pass up. But the Black Cats understandably had to look after their own situation. Signing a replacement was first required if they were to terminate Geertruida’s loan. That did not happen. With a day left of the window, it was too late for Sunderland to source competent cover.
“We’ve had many conversations,” said Black Cats head coach Regis Le Brig. “I think we were honest and really well connected all the way through. When the deadline was finished and over, he accepted the decision. I think he is ready to play for Sunderland. I don’t have any worries about him being okay from now on.”
Just nine days after the window closed, Geertruida will come up against a Liverpool side who could do with him even more than previously. The Reds not only travel to the Stadium of Light without Frimpong, Bradley and Gomez but Dominik Szoboszlai, who has regularly featured as an auxiliary right-back this campaign. Szoboszlai’s late red card in the 2-1 loss to Manchester City means he has to serve a one-match suspension.
What might rub salt into the wound is there is a strong chance that Geertruida will be on Sunderland’s bench. He has not started a game for the Black Cats for more than a month, which was a 3-0 loss to Brentford. In fact, in the past five matches, Geertruida has been handed a total of 31 minutes. In last Saturday’s 3-0 loss at Arsenal, he made a 20-minute substitute came. Nordi Mukiele has been the preferred right-back.
In fairness, it is Sunderland’s prerogative in terms of how many minutes they use Geertruida for. They would argue that Liverpool should have made an approach earlier in January to try to secure his services or even attempted a swoop in the summer when he was surplus to requirements at RB Leipzig.
Still, if Slot turns his head and sees Geertruida on the Black Cats bench with either Curtis Jones or Wataru Endo operating in Liverpool’s defence, it will compound the situation.
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