- 23 hours ago
Aston Villa eye €35m solution to problem position
Imre Himmelbauer
- 8 Aug 2024 11:08 BST
- 3 min read
Aston Villa are ready to move for Feyenoord star Lutsharel Geertruida, Fabrizio Romano reports.
The defender has long been considered one of the standout players at the Eredivisie club and seems to be looking to capitalise on his achievements with a summer transfer. According to the transfer market expert, his situation is being closely monitored in Birmingham.
Villa finished fourth in the Premier League last year and will therefore participate in the Champions League this season.
READ MORE: Premier League summer transfers 2024: All the Done Deals
Current ETV
Lutsharel Geertruida
V (CR)
Feyenoord
Lutsharel Geertruida
V (CR)
Feyenoord
ETV Range
€15M - €25.1M
Romano reports they are ready to strengthen one of the weaker areas of their squad by raiding Feyenoord for Geertruida.
Taking to X, he reports: “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.”
Already Unai Emery’s side have invested heavily in their squad and have brought Amadou Onana (Everton), Ian Maatsen (Chelsea) and Jaden Philogene (Hull City) to Villa Park. In total, Aston Villa have invested more than €176 million in new players this summer.
Geertruida, meanwhile, is set to cost at least €35m, which will take the club’s spending this summer above the €200m barrier.
The Villans have few options on the right side of the defence. The 27-year-old Matty Cash is almost the only option for Emery. Kosta Nedeljkovic also likes to play right-back, but the question is whether the eighteen-year-old Serbian is considered ready for the Premier League. Last season, in Cash's absence, Emery often relied on central defender Ezri Konsa as a right wing-back.
Has Geertruida forgiven Leipzig?
Bundesliga side RB Leipzig offer the main competition to Villa over Geertruida, Romano reports. They also moved for the Feyenoord star last summer but the clubs could not reach an agreement on the transfer fee and they decided to go for Castello Lukeba, who made a €30m transfer from Lyon.
The chance of Geertruida going to Leipzig seems small. Last summer, Feyenoord wanted €30m fixed plus €5m in bonuses. Die Roten Bullen only offered €29m plus €4m in add-ons.
"The fact that Leipzig failed to complete a move hurts the player and that is why Geertruida no longer thinks about meeting with the Germans again if the transfer of another defender fails," De Telegraaf wrote at the time.
Villa, then, are well placed to sign the Netherlands star.
