Premier League champions Liverpool are reportedly in discussions to sign Sunderland defender Lutsharel Geertruida.

The Reds are looking to strengthen at right-back following Jeremie Frimpong’s severe hamstring tear in Liverpool’s UEFA Champions League win over Qarabag on Wednesday. Frimpong’s injury adds to Liverpool’s defensive woes, with Conor Bradley and youngster Giovanni Leoni already sidelined for the season.

Geertruida, 25, joined Sunderland on loan from RB Leipzig last summer and has made 17 Premier League appearances for the Black Cats this season.

According to multiple reports, including Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool, RB Leipzig, and Sunderland are negotiating a deal, with Sunderland seeking compensation for losing a key player just ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline. Liverpool and Geertruida are said to have already reached a personal agreement in recent days.

The move would reunite Geertruida with Liverpool manager Arne Slot, with whom he shared a successful spell at Feyenoord. Together, they won the Eredivisie, Dutch Cup, and Johan Cruyff Shield, and Geertruida played 127 games under Slot, even serving as captain in the manager’s final season at Rotterdam.