With England defender Trent Alexander-Arnold’s departure to Real Madrid almost confirmed, Liverpool have been forced to make a flurry of moves over the player who will take his place.
While they are close to renewing the contract of Northern Ireland defender Conor Bradley, they are also eyeing a new force to be reckoned with.
Dutch defender Jeremie Frimpong, who won the Bundesliga without defeat with Bayer Leverkusen last season and reached the Europa League final, is one of the players Liverpool are keen on, and with manager Arne Slot in the same town, rumours of a move to Anfield.
According to The Independent, Liverpool have held initial talks for the 24-year-old wing-back. The report also says that it is not clear whether this will be a definitive move and that talks are only just beginning.
He has secured a regular place in Xabi Alonso’s team this season and already has double-digit assists. Although his goal tally is significantly down on last season, he is one of the best right-sided defenders in Germany and is likely to step up this summer.
The 24-year-old defender, who is also steadily making his mark in the Dutch national team, is said to be of interest to Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea, also from the Premier League, and could lead to a fierce battle for his services.
Unlike Alexander-Arnold, he is not the type of player who breaks the deadlock with his passing, but has a style of play that allows him to get up front and create chances. He is a similar type to Conor Bradley, and if he comes to Anfield, he may be more likely to set up from the right flank.
However, he is not a player with absolute confidence in defence compared to the England defender. It is imaginable that this could result in defensive concerns, in which case it would be preferable to balance things out by playing a player closer to the centre-back at left-back.
There is also a non-zero possibility of changing the shape of the final line, but a formation change would require a difficult decision to be made as the right players would have to be brought in.
Will the Dutch defender, currently one of the hottest players in Europe, leave the Bundesliga and start a new challenge in the Premier League? And will he end up on Merseyside…?