Liverpool failed in its attempt to sign Lutsharel Geertruida late on in the winter transfer window, with Sunderland now having taken action on its setup at the Stadium of Light
James Findlater Content Editor
12:20, 13 Feb 2026
Liverpool tried to sign Lutsharel Geertruida late on in the winter transfer window(Image: Getty Images)
Sunderland has parted ways with its sporting director, just over a week after Liverpool failed in its attempt to sign Lutsharel Geertruida.
The Reds made a late attempt during the winter transfer window to secure the versatile defender, who is currently on loan at the Stadium of Light from RB Leipzig.
Although the Bundesliga side was said to have been prepared to give the green light for the move to Anfield, Sunderland ultimately decided against terminating the loan, with the Black Cats having not been in a position to find a replacement in time with around 24 hours remaining in the window.
READ MORE: Roy Keane makes Florian Wirtz prediction at Liverpool after Jamie Carragher assessmentREAD MORE: Mohamed Salah tipped to snub Saudi Arabia for ‘perfect’ transfer after Liverpool
The club though has now taken drastic action, with sporting director Kristjaan Speakman leaving, according to The Athletic.
His exit comes after Sunderland’s board decided to move forward without him, it’s claimed. Director of football Florent Ghisolfi has been central to building Regis Le Bris’ side since July, with the club feeling that it has now reached the end of a transitional period, with Speakman’s departure marking the conclusion.
Ghisolfi will therefore likely be the man that decides on Geertruida’s future beyond the summer. Sunderland has the option to make the defender’s move permanent at the end of the season, although Le Bris has raised doubts over whether that will happen.
“I don’t know, to be fair, I don’t know,” Le Bris said last week.
Liverpool attempted to sign Geertruida late in the transfer window(Image: Getty Images)
“I really appreciate his profile, the person as well, he’s a good team-mate in the dressing room. Like Trai [Hume], for example. Trai is our captain, right-back, left-back, centre-back, right-winger, midfielder.
“So the versatility in modern football is key. Probably you can’t have six or seven players like that, but at least two or three are really important, and I think Lucha is this kind of player.”
As for Liverpool, it’s not clear whether the Reds’ interest in Geertruida will extend into the summer, having eyed him up as a loan signing amid injuries to Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong at right-back.
Speaking about his side’s transfer activity in the winter, Arne Slot said: “I think I’ve said that we’ve tried to strengthen the squad, so that probably tells you (I wanted players) and I don’t think I was the only one who wanted that.
Get LFC’s 2025/26 season home and away kits
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
From $100
LFC.com
Liverpool’s home and away strips for the 2025/26 season are the first in their new partnership with adidas.
Fans can order jerseys in the US at Fanatics.com or via the LFC Online Store in both the US and across the world.
“But it’s always about availability and the right player. We do have discussions about what is good for the short and for the long term of the club and now, for example, Jeremy Jacquet wasn’t available for the winter, but he was for the summer.
“We’ve made a decision to sign him because we think he’s a really good signing for the future of this club. I’m very happy with the squad. Let that be clear. But it’s all clear and obvious that we have three long-term injuries (Bradley, Leoni, Alexander Isak).
That’s why we’ve tried to strengthen the squad in the winter break, and the player you mentioned (Geertruida), in the end, wasn’t available. But we’ve tried to strengthen the squad — that is clear. And that tells you that we think that it would have helped us. But it should be possible that we’re not going to sign players that are not good enough to play for this club.”