Liverpool making a summer move for Lutsharel Geertruida is ‘one to keep an eye on’ as incoming boss Arne Slot may seek a quickfire reunion when he arrives in the Anfield dugout, and transfer insider Dean Jones has told GIVEMESPORT that the Feyenoord star could push to follow in his current head coach’s footsteps.
The Reds are preparing to enter a new era in the coming weeks as Jurgen Klopp is set to step down from his position at the end of the season, having run out of energy during another campaign which has seen his side challenging for the Premier League title after already enjoying Carabao Cup glory.
Slot is in line to succeed the German tactician thanks to Liverpool negotiating a compensation package worth up to £9.4million with Eredivisie high-flyers Feyenoord, and he will be handed the opportunity to make alterations to the squad he inherits when the summer window opens for business.
Geertruida Makes Hint that he Wants Move to Anfield
Geertruida revealed on social media that he was among the supporters in the away end as Liverpool were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw with West Ham United at the London Stadium last weekend, according to The Sun, increasing speculation that he could be on course to join Slot on Merseyside.
The report suggests that the Feyenoord vice-captain, who has made more than 120 appearances under the Anfield-bound tactician, could become the Reds’ first signing of the fast-approaching summer transfer window as they prepare to make changes in the post-Klopp era.
Liverpool are on course to see Joel Matip walk away as a free agent as the Cameroonian has entered the final months of his £100,000-per-week contract, and statistics highlight that central defender Geertruida has been posting more eye-catching figures in numerous metrics this season.
Lutsharel Geertruida’s statistical averages per 90 minutes this season compared to Joel Matip
Lutsharel Geertruida
Joel Matip
Pass completion percentage
89.1
87.6
Percentage of dribblers tackled
67.9
66.7
Progressive passes
7.76
3.91
Shot-creating actions
2.69
0.92
Tackles
1.43
1.38
Key passes
1.04
0.23
Goals
0.19
0.00
Statistics correct as of 03/05/2024
It is understood that Netherlands international Geertruida is desperate to join Slot in making the move to Liverpool as he wants to test himself in the Premier League for the first time in his career, while Feyenoord have wasted no time in making contingency plans as they are expecting him to embark on a fresh challenge.
Although Jones is adamant that it is too early to predict whether Geertruida will be the first acquisition during Slot’s reign, he has refused to rule out the possibility of the 23-year-old attempting to force Feyenoord into sanctioning a move to Anfield if it becomes clear that a switch to Merseyside is on the cards.
The respected journalist believes that the Eredivisie title winner’s versatility may be beneficial to the Reds as they aim to adjust to the Dutch tactician’s demands, while he would also be a cheaper option than other potential targets as he could be signed for in the region of £25million in the summer.
Jones told GIVEMESPORT:
“The fact he was at Liverpool’s game with West Ham has obviously got tongues wagging, and it is easy to connect the dots to suggest he could be moving to Liverpool by following Slot.
“At this stage, that would be jumping ahead about four steps because I think he was at the game on his own time, but people I’ve spoken to in the Netherlands say it would not be a surprise if he was pushing for a move like that because he is very ambitious.
“One of the good things about him as a defender is his versatility, and one of the promising things about him as a transfer target would be that he does not hold huge value in the market. He could probably be landed for around £25million, so let’s just say it’s one to keep an eye on.
