Luke O’Nien urges Lutsharel Geertruida to stay amid Liverpool interest | OneFootball

Luke O’Nien has been urging Lutsharel Geertruida to remain at Sunderland, with the Dutch defender’s future shaping into one of the club’s key summer questions.

As reported by Sunderland Echo, Geertruida was linked with Liverpool in January and Tottenham Hotspur have also been credited with interest, while he heads into a World Cup year with his long-term plans undecided.

The loanee has not always been a regular under Régis Le Bris, yet when selected he has looked every inch the high-level, versatile defender Sunderland would try to keep if circumstances allow.

Speaking after the Chelsea game, O’Nien praised his team-mate’s quality and character, joking that he would slide a contract under a napkin if that helped. He said he had been asking Geertruida to stay on a daily basis.

Whether that admiration can be turned into something concrete is unclear. Geertruida’s profile, external interest and international ambitions point to a complicated decision, with regular football likely to weigh heavily before this summer’s World Cup. Inside the dressing room, though, O’Nien’s view was clear enough, the players would want him to stick around.

Source: Sunderland Echo