Tottenham set to miss out on Feyenoord’s Lutsharel Geertruida to RB Leipzig

Big Ange and Tottenham Hotspur will be happy with how they have strengthened the squad over the summer transfer window.

Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou wants to build on his solid first season in north London and get the club into the Champions League spots this time around. Similar to the Wilson Odobert deal, they could have an ace up the sleeve and surprise the fans with a last-minute buy on the deadline day.

There is an expectation that players such as Sergio Reguilon and Giovani Lo Celso will depart the Hotspur Way and find new homes before the window slams shut. Needless to say, while Tottenham have made some exciting, long-term signings, they lack quality depth in a couple of areas of the pitch—chiefly in defence.

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Big Ange’s squad has been weakened by the departure of Emerson Royal to AC Milan. In a season where the Lilywhites are going to compete in four competitions, the Greek-Australian tactician must have a squad with solid depth. This makes it extremely important for the club to replace Royal at right-back, even though they have Pedro Porro and Djed Spence as options.

Spurs had made a contract offer to Feyenoord full-back Lutsharel Geertruida in June, but it looks like he is heading to Germany.

According to transfer news expert Fabrizio Romano, Feyenoord defender Lutsharel Geertruida will join RB Leipzig in a deal above €25m. He is expected to undergo medical tests on Friday before signing his contract at RB Leipzig.

RB Leipzig agreeing a fee with Feyenoord for Geertruida should come as a huge blow for Tottenham. The 24-year-old has established himself as one of the best full-backs in the Eredivisie, delivering consistently solid displays.

A youth product of the Feyenoord academy, he has made 202 first-team appearances in total, registering 35-goal contributions thus far. The Dutchman had a fantastic 2023/24 campaign, producing nine goals and five assists in 47 appearances across all competitions.

Spurs’ interest in Geertruida likely emerged due to the player’s versatility, quality and long-term vision. Primarily a right-back, Geertruida can operate in central defence, as a wing-back and in defensive midfield, and such versatility as well as his playing style certainly aligns with Big Ange’s system.

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The 11-cap Netherlands international would have been more than an adequate replacement for Emerson whilst competing with Porro. Moreover, he would also act as a solid cover for the centre-backs, with Spurs lacking depth in that area of the squad. It is difficult for Spurs to land a quality centre-back on the deadline day, and Geertruida’s capture would have helped the club in that aspect.

All in all, the Feyenoord star would have been a great fit for the Lilywhites, but if we want to bolster our defensive ranks on deadline day, the club will now need to look elsewhere.