Aston Villa pushing for £30m defender deal after injury blow
Villa are pushing to sign Feyenoord defender Lutsharel Geertruida before Friday’s transfer deadline after Matty Cash was ruled out for a month through injury.
Right-back Geertruida has been on Unai Emery’s radar throughout the summer and talks over a deal have been ongoing for several weeks.
But Villa’s need to get one over the line has increased further with Cash now facing a spell on the sidelines.
The Poland international is expected to miss at least the next three Premier League matches and Villa’s first Champions League fixture with the hamstring strain he picked up early in last Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Arsenal.
Geertruida, a Dutch international, is of particular appeal due to his ability to also play at centre-back, though a deal will not be cheap with Feyenoord looking for a fee of around £30million.
Teenager Kosta Nedljkovic is currently Villa’s only fit right-back and though the Serbian has impressed Emery, the boss is keen to bring in reinforcements with his defensive resources looking thin.
Signing Geertruida is now Villa’s priority over the closing days of the window, while some fringe players could depart.
Midfielder Enzo Barrenechea, who joined earlier in the summer from Juventus, is a loan target for Lazio. Leander Dendoncker will also be allowed to leave if a suitable deal can be found.
Comment Guidelines
Iconic Media encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.