Richard Hughes swaps lanes as deal for €20m star now off the table | OneFootball

The 2026-27 summer transfer window isn't even open yet and Liverpool have already been linked with a plethora of different players.

Andoni Iraola's men are in desperate need of reinforcements with three of their mainstays already choosing to exit Anfield this summer.

Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate all need to be replaced before their campaign gets fully underway.

Their need to get deals over the line has caused many links with Liverpool to start emerging with some deals even re-emerging after their failures in January.

And now, a move for one of Liverpool's former targets may already be off the table.

Liverpool have 'no contact' with Lutsharel Geertruida now Arne Slot is gone

Lutsharel Geertruida was one of two right-backs who were linked with a move to Liverpool in January.

At the halfway point in the 2025-26 season, all of Liverpool's usual right-back options were out injured with Wataru Endo even being ruled out for the season.

This meant that players such as Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai had to plug the gap unless Liverpool signed someone.

Denzel Dumfries was the other option but, since Geertruida was younger and much more versatile, he was their key target.

In the end, a move never came to fruition with fans speculating that a deal could arise this summer, even though Sunderland had a €20 million buy option in their loan deal.

However, if the latest update from Dutch journalist Joost Blaauwhof is to be believed, that is almost certainly not the case.

"Lutsharel Geertruida currently has no contact whatsoever with Liverpool. Arne Slot wanted to bring in the defender in the winter due to his versatility," he wrote via his personal X account.

"The club didn't follow through at the last moment, despite a personal agreement.

"The ex-Feyenoorder is focusing on the World Cup, transfer comes later."

Liverpool still need to sign a new right-back in summer

Liverpool may have just spent £29.5 million on Jeremie Frimpong but, from the form he's shown this season, he's clearly not a right-back.

The Dutchman may be lightning quick and have a keen eye for a pass but, when playing in a back four, your full-backs need to be able to defend as well as attack.

Indeed, Frimpong's recoveries are fairly impressive due to his pace but, aside from that, he isn't all that great defensively.

Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez are two other options that Liverpool have available to them but, since they're both made of glass, they're hardly reliable.

This means that, even though Geertruida may not be a valid option for Liverpool anymore, Iraola and Richard Hughes still need to sign a new right-back.

There are many options available to them with Marco Palestra actually wanting to join the club but, with how many players Liverpool need to sign, it's unclear what their priorities will look like or what their team will even look like by the start of the 2026-27 season.