Liverpool and Aston Villa ‘to target’ £20m Sunderland loanee Lutsharel Geertruida | OneFootball

Liverpool and Aston Villa are tracking Sunderland loanee Lutsharel Geertruida ahead of a potential summer move.

According to TEAMtalk, several Premier League sides are monitoring the Dutch international, with a deal likely to cost around £20m. Sunderland retain an option to turn his RB Leipzig loan into a permanent transfer at season’s end, although he is said to be content on Wearside and his representatives are aware of opportunities elsewhere, including abroad.

Geertruida has made 27 appearances across all competitions this season. Everton, Tottenham and Crystal Palace are also said to be keen.

Liverpool tried to sign him in January during a defensive injury crisis, with Arne Slot, who worked with him at Feyenoord, seeing him as a short-term solution. Sunderland’s failure to secure a replacement before deadline day ended that move.

Slot later said the club had sought mid-season reinforcements but the player was not available, adding that bringing him in would have helped.

Black Cats head coach Le Bris recently praised Geertruida’s versatility, arguing it makes him valuable across positions but complicates his bid to start regularly. He noted that a looming World Cup shapes the defender’s thinking and that transfer windows create noise before decisions are made.

Source: Sunderland Echo