£34m creates a whirlwind on the touchline for Liverpool
Jeremie Frimpong should be Liverpool’s number one target in the summer transfer window.
Arne Slot will open a new chapter at Anfield after the Jurgen Klopp era. This is a coach that legend Dirk Kuyt considers a football man.
Kuyt told Ladbrokes 1-2-Free: “Arne Slot is a family man, but he’s also a football guy. He lives and breathes football 24/7. If you watch his press conferences, he’s very eloquent and explains his ideas very well.”
“He can be funny sometimes but also very straightforward. He knows everything about football, not just Dutch football, but you can ask him anything about football and I think he can give you the answer. Premier League fans will like him,” Kuyt said.
Like Erik Ten Hag at Man Utd, Slot will also need Dutchmen to form a team he can trust. Currently, he has Virgil van Dijk as a pillar in defence. Up front, Cody Gakpo has been seen shining for the Netherlands at EURO 2024. The Netherlands’ journey in Germany has probably suggested to Slot the best position for Gakpo next season – winger.
Of course, Liverpool’s transfer will need more recruits to complete Slot’s style of play. For now, they are targeting Bayer Leverkusen star Jeremie Frimpong.
The Dutchman has attracted plenty of attention this summer after an impressive year for Xabi Alonso’s side, scoring 14 goals and providing 12 assists in 47 appearances in all competitions.
According to yesterday’s edition of German newspaper Bild, Liverpool have made contact with the player’s representatives. Frimpong has a dream of playing for The Kop, so the Merseyside club will be able to convince him to join Anfield if they reach an agreement with Leverkusen.
The German champions are said to want around £34m [€40m] for Frimpong, according to his release clause.
Frimpong is a promising player for the Netherlands.
However, Bild claim that Frimpong is also being pursued by Real Madrid, Manchester City and Arsenal, so Liverpool need to move quickly to close the deal before things go wrong.
The Leverkusen star is an attacking full-back capable of playing anywhere on the right flank. It is conceivable that by signing Frimpong, Slot would push Trent Alexander-Arnold into a holding midfield role, as Klopp did so many times last season.
Frimpong could then support Gakpo, who plays on the same wing, and create a real whirlwind down the touchline. This is a promising style of play that could be sustained for many years, as Mohamed Salah begins to age and perhaps count the days away from Anfield.