Opinion: Jeremie Frimpong's transfer to Liverpool makes perfect sense
Liverpool are close to signing Jeremie Frimpong, their ideal replacement for the departing Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Photo by Jorg Schuler/Getty images
Alexander-Arnold confirmed that he will depart the Reds after 20 years at the club following the conclusion of his contract. This leaves Liverpool needing to replace one of the best right-backs in the world.
Arne Slot and his team have wasted no time in identifying a replacement, and Bayer Leverkusen's Frimpong is on the verge of joining the Reds.
The 24-year-old landed at Merseyside on Tuesday (May 27th) to finalise a £29.5 million transfer to Liverpool, according to Sky Sports.
Frimpong was a key member of the Leverkusen team that won the German domestic double last season, and since joining the German outfit in January 2021, the Netherlands international has scored 30 goals and provided 44 assists in 190 games for the club in all competitions.
A different dynamic to Alexander-Arnold
Frimpong is an explosive attacking-minded right wing-back who thrives in 1v1 situations and often dribbles past defenders to deliver low crosses into the box.
Under Xabi Alonso, the Dutchman operated like a right winger by maintaining width and making aggressive overlapping runs which resulted in him consistently contributing to Leverkusen's counter attacks.
However, for the most part of this season Liverpool have relied on Alexander-Arnold at right-back whose range of passing has been crucial to splitting opposition open.
This season, Frimpong has recorded more than double the number of dribbles made by Alexander-Arnold but less than half the number of passes.
With Alexander-Arnold often stepping into the midfield but Frimpong preferring to be positioned on the right-hand side, Slot may have to change his formation to a back three in order to include the Netherlands international.
Potential problems in defence?
Trent Alexander-Arnold has often been scrutinised for his defensive abilities, with Roy Keane describing his defending as "schoolboy" earlier this season.
In addition, there appeared to be a lack of trust from former England boss Gareth Southgate, who gave the full-back just 134 minutes of game time at Euro 2024.
Photo by Liverpool FC/Getty images
While Frimpong's arrival brings attacking flair, questions remain over whether he will be able to resolve Liverpool's defensive issues at right-back.
The issue Slot faces is that Frimpong operates more like a winger than a traditional defender. If he is deployed at right-back, opposition sides may exploit the space left behind when the Dutchman pushes forward.
According to Opta, Frimpong has a higher tackle success rate than Alexander-Arnold, but records fewer interceptions, tackles, and duel successes overall.
As well as this , Frimpong's limited defensive involvement is evident in the fact that only 22% of his touches this season came in his own half, compared to Alexander-Arnold's 48%.
What about Conor Bradley?
Conor Bradley ended the season as Liverpool's first-choice right-back following the announcement of Trent Alexander-Arnold's departure.
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty images
The 21-year-old made a strong impression in his 28 appearances this season, including a standout performance in the 2-0 Champions League win over Real Madrid.
Alan Shearer has been impressed by Bradley's performances but still believes Liverpool will need a new right-back to provide competition.
"He's impressed me," Shearer said on The Rest Is Football podcast.
The former Newcastle forward continued, "But whether he's ready to go full-time, maybe not. So they have to get another one anyway."
Bradley remains relatively inexperienced, with just 55 appearances for Liverpool and 53 for League One side Bolton during a successful loan spell in the 2022/23 season. However, the Irishman has proved on numerous occasions that he can step up to the challenge.
A key concern surrounding the youngster, though, is his injury record. This season, Bradley missed 82 days of action—equivalent to 17 games—due to a hamstring injury followed by a muscle problem.
A deal that makes sense
Signing Frimpong is a no-brainer for Liverpool. He's affordable and could be secured even before the transfer window officially opens, allowing the Reds to shift their focus to strengthening other areas of the squad.
Liverpool are already heavily linked with Milos Kerkez, Florian Wirtz, and Hugo Ekitike, so it could be a busy window ahead for the Merseyside club, who spent very little last summer.
The Dutchman also qualifies as a homegrown talent due to his time in Manchester City's academy. But most importantly, he has the quality to thrive in this Liverpool team.
His attacking prowess allows him to play higher up the pitch, which could provide valuable squad depth—particularly during the Africa Cup of Nations in December and January.
This would also enable him and Conor Bradley to feature in the same team without hindering the 21-year-old Irishman's development.
Although Bradley and Frimpong have very different playing styles, this signing could be the ideal solution to Liverpool's right-back concerns. Slot could rotate the two depending on the fixture and the strength of the opposition.
Bradley could be deployed as a more defensive option against stronger teams like Arsenal and Manchester City, while Frimpong could help overload attacks against lower-calibre opposition.
If Liverpool can get this deal over the line, it would be an incredible start to what looks to be a promising summer transfer window for the Reds.