Aston Villa move to sign Arne Slot favourite in attempted transfer coup
Aston Villa could send a message to their Premier League rivals with the signing of 24-year-old Feyenoord defender Lutsharel Geertruida.
Transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano claims that the fullback has been added to Aston Villa’s shortlist of targets while he also remains of interest to RB Leipzig.
Leipzig are set to receive a cash injection from the sale of Dani Olmo to Barcelona and could swoop for the Feyenoord Academy graduate.
Liverpool links have also persisted with former Feyenoord boss Arne Slot now installed at Anfield but those connections haven’t really firmed up to any degree.
Geertruida is entering the final year of his current deal at Feyenoord and the Rotterdam club might be keen on cashing in on him this summer.
Romano wrote on X: “Aston Villa have added Lutsharel Geertruida to their shortlist as he remains also on RB Leipzig radar.
“RB Leipzig wanted Geertruida already last summer, Villa are monitoring him as potential new option.”
Reports out of the Netherlands suggest that Feyenoord believe they could still draw a club record fee for Geertruida who came up through the ranks at the club and Aston Villa already lead the top spenders in Europe this summer.
Feyenoord reportedly sold Orkun Kokcu to Benfica for £26m to establish a new high water mark for the Dutch club and might ask suitors to break the £30m mark to secure the fullback’s signature.
Dennis te Kloese, the technical director of Feyenoord, has not disclosed the precise amount the team is looking to receive for Geertruida.
Leipzig reportedly reached an agreement with the player on personal terms last month but were not willing to meet Feyenoord’s valuation of the player.
Geertruida featured for Feyenoord in their Johan Cruyff Shield win over PSV Eindhoven in the first competitive match for the team under new head coach Brian Priske.
Because of his positional versatility, the 11-cap Dutch international could be a significant signing for Villa.
Geertruida can play centre back or right back with equal skill. Last season, Unai Emery shown his tactical adaptability by frequently switching to a back three, and should that continue it would provide the 26-year-old with ideal a nearly ideal system for success in the Premier League.
MORE TRANSFER CONTENT FROM F365
???? Every Premier League transfer completed in the summer of 2024
???? The 20 best footballers available on a free transfer on July 1
???? The 20 biggest transfers in the 2024 summer window
Premier League interest in the dynamic defender predates Slot’s appointment at Anfield and his style of play suggest he would slot into English football well.
Tottenham have also been in touch with the player to set expectations of what a contract with Spurs would look like but the North London club did not submit a satisfactory bid for the player.
Feyenoord would prefer to keep hold of the defender and even with the player in the final year of his deal are unlikely to get desperate in the current window.
