Sunderland have been flexing their muscles all across the summer transfer window with some impressive purchases after promotion to the Premier League.
12 new faces have arrived at Regis Le Bris‘ camp already to try and make immediate safety a reality, with plenty more signings expected to join the Stadium of Light ranks on a chaotic deadline day before the clock strikes 7pm.
The ambitious Black Cats are already edging ever closer to picking up their first standout buy of the day, as Le Bris dives back into the Bundesliga market to try and win himself a similar warrior figure to new captain Granit Xhaka.
Sunderland strike late agreement with £20m ace
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Now, as it’s been reported by The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Sunderland have struck up a last-ditch agreement with RB Leipzig defender Letsharel Geertruida.
Fabrizio Romano has further followed up on the breaking news to clarify that a £20m buy option clause has been inserted into the initial loan deal, should the Black Cats want to make the signing a permanent one, with the deal close to being finalised.
The former Feyenoord defender could well go down as a superb late buy for the Premier League newcomers, as Le Bris and Co. pray that their next Xhaka has entered through the door to make survival an easier task to complete.
Why Geertruida can be Xhaka 2.0
While he is now being told he can leave Leipzig behind, Geertruida has shone in flashes in the demanding German top-flight, away from being remembered fondly in his native Netherlands.
A sturdy six clean sheets would come the 25-year-old’s way last season in the hustle and bustle of league action when competing with Xhaka’s Bayer Leverkusen, with a goal also heading his direction, away from just completing his defensive basics.
Xhaka is also well known for being both gritty and a creative force, too, with nine goal contributions next to his name last season for his own Bundesliga employers, on top of averaging 3.9 duels won per league contest, as per Sofascore.
The duo together could really offer Sunderland some steel and creativity; therefore, with Geertruida even being dubbed “monumental” for his forceful nature by scout Antonio Mango when consistently standing out in the Eredivisie.
Indeed, the Rotterdam-born defender would pick up a stunning 24 goals and 11 assists from a whopping 202 clashes for ex-side Feyenoord. To add context, Xhaka – when routinely strutting his stuff in the Premier League from the middle of the park – has his own impressive tally of 17 goals and 25 assists from 228 games, with an assist already notched up for Le Bris and Co.
Yet, his determination to always fight for the cause never wavered across that mammoth collection of matches, with his final full Eredivisie campaign seeing him collect a colossal 15 clean sheets.
| Geertruida’s career record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Position played | Games | Goals + Assists |
| RB | 161 | 24 + 7 |
| CB | 115 | 15 + 2 |
| DM | 20 | 1 + 2 |
| LB | 7 | 0 + 1 |
| RM | 4 | 0 + 1 |
| CM | 2 | 0 |
| Sourced by Transfermarkt | ||
Geertruida might even be lining up alongside Xhaka in the midfield areas shortly, when assessing the table above, with the Dutchman capable of playing in a whole host of different positions if needed, which makes him even more of an invaluable late buy.
Having starred briefly in the Bundesliga, and more consistently in the Dutch top division, it will be intriguing to see how the 25-year-old now fares in the bright lights of the Premier League.
If he is a rip-roaring success, it could well prove to be another coup from Germany, much like the fanfare that greeted Xhaka’s arrival from the BayArena.
Read more at: https://www.sportupdates.co.uk/
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