Who is Lutsharel Geertruida? Defender was spotted with Liverpool fans before transfer talks

Liverpool is in talks over the signing of Lutsharel Geertruida, with the club's supporters having already had the chance to get up close and personal with him ahead of his potential move

Liverpool is in talks over a deal for Lutsharel Geertruida(Image: Getty Images)

Liverpool may well have a late, late transfer up its sleeve before the end of the window, with talks underway over a possible deal for Lutsharel Geertruida.

With injuries having taken their toll on the Reds’ defense, Arne Slot looks as though he could be reunited with a player he knows very well as discussions take place with Sunderland and RB Leipzig.

Geertruida is currently on a season-long loan at the Stadium of Light, and any deal for him to switch to Anfield would need Liverpool to reach agreements with both clubs, with Sunderland looking for compensation for his loan being cut short.

Liverpool.com understands that Geertruida is indeed someone that Liverpool is exploring, though there is an acceptance that it is a complicated deal to get done, given his current loan. He is one of a few options under consideration before the transfer deadline.

Geertruida will be a name that Liverpool fans are already very familiar with - in fact, some of them may have already had the chance to speak directly with him.

After coming through the ranks at Overmaas Rotterdam, Spartaan ‘20 and Sparta Rotterdam as a youngster, Geertruida made his breakthrough into senior football with Feyenoord in 2017.

Arne Slot knows Lutsharel Geertruida well from their time together at Feyenoord(Image: Getty Images)

It was in Rotterdam that he would first work with Slot, with the now-Liverpool boss having taken over at Feyenoord in 2021. The pair would work together for three years, with Geertruida playing 127 times under his fellow Dutchman.

They both went their separate ways in 2024, although not before Geertruida stoked the fire of rumors that he could be heading to Liverpool, having been spotted among the Reds’ fans for the club’s game against West Ham in April 2024 - the same game that saw Mohamed Salah’s infamous falling-out with Jurgen Klopp.

A move to Anfield wouldn’t materialize, despite him being linked with joining Slot, and he instead made the move to RB Leipzig, although it wouldn’t take long for him to come up against his old boss.

Liverpool faced Geertruida during the league phase of last season’s Champions League, with Darwin Nunez’s goal enough to give it a 1-0 victory in Leipzig on the way to topping the standings during the opening stage.

The defender made 35 appearances for Leipzig last season, but was on the move again in the summer as he joined Sunderland on loan, although there were more rumors linking him with a move to Liverpool at the time.

He has made 17 league appearances for the Black Cats this season, including 10 starts, although his time in the north-east may now be coming to an end as he finally gets the chance to join the Reds.

Generally utilized as a right-back, he can also play at center-back or as a defensive midfielder. That would make him the ideal signing for Liverpool, given the lack of options currently at the back.

Lutsharel Geertruida is currently on loan at Sunderland(Image: Getty Images)

And Geertruida would no doubt relish the chance to work with Slot again, with the 25-year-old crediting Slot with getting the most out of him during his career so far.

"Arne managed to get the best out of me,” Geertruida said ahead of the meeting between Liverpool and Leipzig last season. “He was never afraid to give me some harsh truths and was always correct in what he said about me.

"I believe he was a game changer for Feyernoord as soon as he arrived in Rotterdam. We always looked to play a dominant style of football, no matter the opponent.”