How Lutsharel Geertruida reacted to Liverpool interest when Sunderland blocked transfer

Liverpool made an attempt to sign Lutsharel Geertruida on loan for the remainder of the season, but Sunderland was not in a position to let him leave in the end

Lutsharel Geertruida played for Sunderland against Burnley on Monday.(Image: Scott Llewellyn/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris says Lutsharel Geertruida "accepted" the North East club's decision not to allow him to leave amid interest from Liverpool ahead of the transfer deadline.

With injuries mounting up in defensive areas and Geertruida a versatile option who can play right-back, center-back and in midfield, he made sense. He worked with Arne Slot at Feyenoord and was someone who the Liverpool was boss very much aware of, but there was an acceptance at Anfield that a deal would be difficult to arrange late on.

For Liverpool to sign Geertruida on loan, his move to Sunderland from RB Leipzig would have needed to be cut short. For Sunderland to do that, it wanted a replacement, which didn't prove possible.

"We’ve had many conversations," Le Bris said. "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 OK from now on."

While Liverpool was unable to improve its roster in the short term by signing Geertruida, it did get a deal over the line for Rennes center-back Jeremy Jacquet, which will go through in the summer.

Sunderland's Lutsharel Geertruida arrives ahead of a Premier League game against Brentford.(Image: Andrew Kearns - CameraSport via Getty Images)

That move is understood to be worth a total of $82 million (£60 million) including add-ons, with Liverpool delighted to bring in a top-quality option ahead of several European rivals including Chelsea.

"I am honoured to sign for Liverpool, one of the greatest football institutions in the world,” Jacquet said in a statement released by Rennes after the transfer was confirmed.

"It was also very important for me to finish my time in red and black on a high, at my boyhood club, the club of my heart.

"I'm approaching this second half of the season with the desire to experience some great moments with my teammates and the fans."

Rennes is currently sixth in Ligue 1 and in the running for the European places, meaning it was desperate to keep its star man a little longer. Jacquet has played 18 of the club’s 20 league matches, only missing two due to suspension.

Liverpool made a definitive move to sign Jacquet over the weekend, as it looks to make a head start on addressing its center-back issues ahead of the summer.

Liverpool.com says: Geertruida made loads of sense but it was a little late in the window to make a move in the end. Jacquet, meanwhile, looks like a really good signing, even if the Reds will have to wait a few months to see him in action at Anfield.