Geertruida comes at the second attempt
As a replacement for the Frenchman, the Saxons have signed Dutch international and right-back Lutsharel Geertruida from Feyenoord Rotterdam. The 24-year-old has played for the cup winners from the port city since he was twelve years old. He was already a candidate in Leipzig last summer, but an agreement was not reached at the time. He signed a five-year contract with RB until 2029. The transfer fee is reportedly 25 million euros.
RB sports director Rouven Schröder praised the new signing as a “very flexible player who can be used in central defence in a three- and four-man chain, on the defensive wing and as a six.” Leipzig sports director Marcel Schäfer spoke of “another top-class new signing (…). He will help us immediately with his sporting qualities.”
Long-running hit near Rotterdam
Geertruida was a long-standing player at Feyenoord and often played as captain of last year’s sixth-placed team. He not only impressed in defence with his good positioning, but also with his dribbling forwards, five assists and an outstanding passing rate. With eight goals in 34 games, he was the fourth-best goalscorer for the club from his hometown of Rotterdam in the Eredivsie.
The 1.84-meter-tall right-footer made his debut for the national team in March 2023 and was part of the Netherlands squad at the European Championships, where he only played 117 minutes under coach Ronald Koeman.
Osawe goes to Nuremberg
Meanwhile, U17 world and European champion Winners Osawe was sold to Franconia. The German, who was sent off with a yellow-red card in the dramatic World Cup final and made the match against France exciting again, is moving to 1. FC Nuremberg and coach Miroslav Klose.
However, RB is said to have secured a buy-back option for the talented defensive midfielder. The club wants to give him “the time he needs” and “carefully introduce him to the professional level”. Last season, the 17-year-old was a regular member of Leipzig’s squad in the A-Youth Bundesliga North/Northeast.
