Barcelona interested in Lutsharel Geertruida

Feyenoord right-back Lutsharel Geertruida has emerged as a target for Barcelona heading into the summer transfer window.

According to Gerard Romero, as relayed by Barca Blaugranes, Lutsharel Geertruida is the subject of interest from Barcelona. The newly-crowned La Liga champions have added the 22-year-old Feyenoord defender to their list of right-back targets heading into the summer transfer window.

Lutsharel Geertruida spent his formative years in his homeland, passing through the academies at Overmaas, Spartaan ’20 and Sparta Rotterdam. A native of Rotterdam, the Dutch international joined Feyenoord, the city’s biggest club, in 2012. And he has come leaps and bounds in the past decade.

The 22-year-old made his first-team debut for Feyenoord as a 17-year-old in October 2017. And Geertruida has established himself as a regular for the Dutch club since then. Meanwhile, he made 28 appearances this term as Feyenoord won the Eredivisie. And Geertruida’s progress has captured the attention of several high-profile clubs, including Barcelona.

Barcelona will scour the market for a right-back in the summer transfer window. That is because they have struggled to identify the true heir of Dani Alves since the Brazilian’s first stint with the Blaugrana ended several years ago. Since then, Nelson Semedo, Sergi Roberto, Sergino Dest, and several others have tried and failed to fill Alves’s void.

Xavi Hernandez has thus had to utilise Jules Kounde, a centre-back, as his first-choice right-back this season. Meanwhile, Ronald Araujo and Alejandro Blade have also played as makeshift right-backs this term. So it behoves Barcelona to look for a right-back in the summer transfer window.

Several candidates, including Jeremie Frimpong, have thus emerged on Barcelona’s radar. And Gerard Romero (h/t Barca Blaugranes) has claimed that the Catalan giants have set their sights on Geertruida. A solid defender, the 22-year-old is also proficient in the final third, scoring three goals and providing two assists this season.

The Dutch right-back is thus an option worth considering for Barcelona heading into the summer transfer window. And it will be interesting to see if the newly-crowned La Liga champions make him their first-choice right-back target. For now, Geertruida has emerged as a candidate to bolster Xavi’s right-back options next season.