Why Arne Slot is reluctant to sign Lutsharel Geertruida as Liverpool rival pounces

Liverpool has reportedly fallen behind Tottenham in the race to sign Lutsharel Geertruida this summer, with Arne Slot seemingly not keen on signing his former Feyenoord star.

Geertruida has found himself heavily linked with a move away from the Eredivisie club this summer. As well as Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig have been touted as possible destinations.

According to The Mirror though, Tottenham is in pole position to sign the 23-year-old. That may come as a surprise to Liverpool fans, especially after what Geertruida did earlier this year.

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The defender was spotted among the Reds’ traveling fans for the Premier League game at West Ham back in April. The Netherlands international even posted on social media from the away stand, leading to speculation that he could be eyeing up a move to Anfield.

Slot is said to be a big admirer of his former player, and considering he is valued at around $32m (£25m/€30m), he would be well within Liverpool’s reach. The report from the Mirror though indicates that the new Reds boss is reluctant to make a Dutchman his first signing.

Erik ten Hag’s struggles at Manchester United could be the reason behind Slot’s hesitancy. The former Ajax boss made Tyrell Malacia his first signing at Old Trafford, and two years later, the left-back has barely been seen over the past 12 months.

Slot’s reluctance could be Tottenham’s gain, with the London club said to have been watching Geertruida regularly last season. The defender also came on a second-half substitute for the Netherlands in their Euro 2024 draw with France on Friday.

Spurs are hoping Geertruida will opt for a move to England ahead of Paris. PSG is said to need to offload two other defensive players before they can launch a bid.

Liverpool.com says: You can certainly understand why there might be some reluctance from Slot to sign one of his former players. Even before he was officially announced as Liverpool’s new head coach, comparisons were being made to Ten Hag, whose reign at United has not gone well, even with two trophies under his belt.

Liverpool though is in a much better position to support Slot as he embarks on his first season in charge. With Richard Hughes, Michael Edwards and Julian Ward in the frame, there should be no off-the-field issues for Slot to contend with, unlike at Old Trafford.