By Abdullah Mamaniyat

Liverpool have failed to reach an agreement with Sunderland and RB Leipzig o.

According to journalist Florian Plettenburg, Leipzig have given the deal a ‘green light’ which required the Bundesliga club to break the current loan deal with Sunderland, who also had to agree.

David Ornstein from The Athletic earlier this morning reported that all three parties would have been required to agree to the termination and the deal, with the Black Cats expected to receive compensation as there was no break clause in the loan deal.

At this stage, it is unclear whether the Reds have effectively taken over the remainder of the current loan deal or struck a separate deal entirely with the transfer window shutting on 2 February.

Situation Developing

Credit: BBC

Liverpool and RB Leipzig have reached an agreement for versatile defender Lutsharel Geertruida to join the Premier League side, ending his loan spell at Sunderland.

According to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Leipzig has given the deal the "green light." The move required the Bundesliga club to prematurely terminate Geertruida's season-long loan with Sunderland. David Ornstein of The Athletic reported earlier this morning that because the original loan lacked a break clause, the Black Cats are expected to receive significant financial compensation for facilitating the move.

With the transfer window closing on February 2, it remains to be seen whether Liverpool has assumed the remainder of the existing loan or negotiated a fresh permanent deal with Leipzig.

Slot’s Focus On Strengthening

Credit: Liverpool.com

The move comes on the heels of Saturday’s 4-1 thrashing of Newcastle, where manager Arne Slot dropped a heavy hint regarding incoming faces. "We are trying to strengthen the squad, not weaken it," Slot remarked, amid rumours heading into the game linking midfielder Curtis Jones to Serie A side Inter Milan.

Liverpool’s hand was forced by a relentless injury crisis which has highlighted defensive frailties. Long-term absences for Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley, combined with the stop-start fitness of Jeremie Frimpong and Joe Gomez, have left the backline depleted. This instability has often forced Slot to deploy Dominic Szoboszlai, the Reds' standout performer this season, at right-back, a move that plugged a temporary hole but stifled the team further up the pitch.

Geertruida arrives with significant match fitness, having made 17 appearances for Sunderland this season. His final appearance for the promoted side was a 3-0 defeat to Brentford on January 7.

At 25, the Dutchman offers much-needed experience and a pre-existent rapport with the manager. Geertruida was a cornerstone of Slot’s Feyenoord side for three seasons, where the pair secured both an Eredivisie title and the KNVB Cup.

He is capable of playing in a number of positions, as he has under Regis Bris this campaign. The majority of his games have come at centre-back, some have been in defensive midfield and the rest at right-back. It is expected that the Dutchman will fill in at right-back for Slot which is where he played and captained the side under him at Feyenoord.

Verdict