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

TEAMtalk reports that Liverpool and Aston Villa are among Premier League sides tracking Sunderland loanee Lutsharel Geertruida ahead of a possible summer move, with Everton, Tottenham and Crystal Palace also monitoring him. Any deal is said to be around £20 million.

The 25-year-old is on loan at the Stadium of Light from RB Leipzig and has made 27 appearances in all competitions this season.

Sunderland hold an option to make the move permanent at the end of the campaign, which could give them an advantage, although the player's preference will be important.

Liverpool explored a January deal during a defensive injury crisis at Anfield, with head coach Arne Slot, who previously worked with Geertruida at Feyenoord, viewing him as a short-term option. The move fell through because Sunderland could not secure a replacement before the deadline.

Slot later said they had tried to strengthen in winter, that Geertruida ultimately was not available, and that such an addition would have helped his squad.

Black Cats head coach Le Bris has highlighted Geertruida's versatility, noting it can make him invaluable to the squad but complicate his push to start regularly. He added that ambition to be a starter is normal and that the World Cup figures in the player's thinking.

Source: Sunderland Echo