Arne Slot wanted to sign defender

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Image Credits: Imago ImagesLiverpool’s summer is shaping up to be one of the most consequential in the club’s recent history.Mohamed Salah is leaving, Virgil van Dijk’s future hangs in the balance, Alisson Becker is being targeted by Juventus, and Federico Chiesa is almost certain to leave Liverpool this summer.The rebuilding job that awaits whoever takes charge of Anfield’s football operations this summer is enormous, and the decisions made in the next few months will define the next chapter of the club entirely.It is against that backdrop that a name has quietly surfaced as a genuine Liverpool target.A defender Arne Slot has wanted, a player he knows personally, and a situation that could make a deal very achievable this summer.That matters because Salah made his feelings about Liverpool’s direction abundantly clear after Friday’s 4-2 defeat to Aston Villa, writing on Instagram that the club needs to return to being “the heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear.”He called the current state of affairs “very painful” and said recovering Liverpool’s attacking identity “cannot be negotiable.”The pressure to get this summer right has never been higher.25-year-old Dutchman Lutsharel Geertruida came through Feyenoord under Slot before moving to RB Leipzig, was close to joining Liverpool last summer but the move fell through.His current loan spell at Sunderland is ending and neither club appears to want a permanent arrangement.Sunderland hold a purchase option of 23 million euros with Leipzig but have shown no indication they plan to exercise it.The reason is straightforward.With Nordi Mukiele established as first choice at right back, Geertruida has been deployed primarily as a central defender, making 29 appearances across all competitions this season including just 15 starts.That lack of undisputed status is precisely why Sunderland are stepping back.Dutch football journalist Valentijn Driessen raised the Liverpool possibility directly in De Telegraaf’s Kick-Off with quotes vis Voetbal zone, pointing to the Slot connection as the critical factor.“Arne Slot wanted him,” Driessen said.“Because Geertruida can play in various positions.”That versatility is exactly the kind of profile Liverpool need as they rebuild across multiple areas simultaneously.Driessen was honest about the challenge though.“First at Leipzig, and now at Sunderland, he is struggling to keep up. And those aren’t exactly the best clubs in the world to end up at.”“And Liverpool is another step up.”“Can he handle that?”It is a fair question.But he stopped short of writing Geertruida off entirely, adding that with a manager like Slot, someone who has already built a relationship with the defender and understands how to get the best from him, the move could work.Liverpool are not the only club watching.Aston Villa, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace and Leeds United are all monitoring his situation, which means any deal will need to move quickly.Slot’s familiarity with Geertruida gives Liverpool a genuine edge.Whether that is enough to convince the club’s decision makers that a player who has struggled for regular starts at Sunderland can handle the demands Salah is calling for is the real question.The bar has been set loudly and publicly.Now Liverpool have to find the players to meet it.

Arne Slot Lutsharel Geertruida