Every hope for finding a like-for-like replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold did not exist. He is a unicorn, a passing full-back like no other. But maybe Arne Slot did not want a Like-for-like replacement. Jeremie Frimpong brings different qualities.
The release clause in the Bayer Leverkusen contract from Frimpong was set at £ 29.5 million and that represents value for Liverpool. This is a 24-year-old player with a high performance record after his enormously successful three-seasons stay in the Bundesliga.
Julian Ward, technical director of Liverpool, has a mantra when it comes to recruitment. His conviction is that new signing sessions should have had a career in the ideal case before their Liverpool career. Frimpong has been an important part of the double -winning side of Leverkusen.
There will be an expectation that he can adjust quickly. Although born in Amsterdam and Dutch International, Frimpong grew up in northwestern England – only opting for the Academy of Manchester City above Liverpool for the convenience of living -working traffic.
His personality also offers optimism with regard to rapid adjustment. It even shone through in those youth days. “He is an interesting character, a really sympathetic boy,” Gareth Taylor tells Sky Sports. “A lot of energy and enthusiasm, on and next to the field.”
Fight for a career in the city
Taylor coached Frimpong at development level during their time together in the city. One game in particular stands out. It was against Derby County in the FA Youth Cup and Felix Nmecha was sent away, so the pressure was suddenly on the city side of Taylor.
“We pushed Jeremia of Right-back almost to the right to get a form of predominance when we had the ball. He was excellent. When Felix left the field, the game was a bit up in the air, but Jeremie just tore apart.” He scored the winner.
That Taylor mentions a certain game is perhaps an indication that Frimpong was not the star artist in a stacked city team every week. Nmecha himself, who now played for Borussia Dortmund and a German international, was the more obvious striking.
“You could always see that Felix had that potential to kick. Nobody really saw it with Jeremia. They didn't see that he would be the one who is going to do what he has done in football. I think he surprised many people by going under the radar.
“It has not been a real surprise for me, only because when we had meetings with the Academy Manager, I would tell them that this man was not discouraged by any situation. In large competitions he had never been overrun; he always got up. His levels were even higher.”
That is why Taylor Frimpong sees as someone “you always by your side”, but reaching the first team of Pep Guardiola was no more than a distant dream. “It was probably pretty clear early on that he might not be a player for Pep,” Taylor acknowledges.
“If there is something, the Jeremia will probably helped, because if the organization is not so sure of a player, then that player will probably feel it. So I think he always tried to prove himself.” Being on the other side of the spectrum can also be a problem for players.
“If you have players who are really well thought of it and they know, that is not always a good thing. I think Jeremie has always had to fight. He comes from a large family and I can imagine that he had to fight to be heard. He brought that into his football.”
In 2019, Frimpong signed for Celtic. “I think Jeremie to Celtic was much better for him. It was a great move. Some players have to drop the radar almost a bit and then come back. Before you knew it, he was on his way to Celtic and played in big matches for them.”
Making a quick impact on Celtic
Frimpong agreed to a four -year contract with Celtic, but remained only one and a half of those seasons. Although he was sent in a cup final against Rangers in Hampden Park, Celtic won the match and completed Frimpong de Treble that season.
Former Celtic favorite Chris Sutton remembers a “Bubbels character” who won the crowd with his electric pace. “He was absolutely fast,” Sutton tells Sky Sports. “He just has that real eruption of dynamics over six meters and he can leave people.”
He adds: “He is a different type of player than Trent. He does not have the passing range of Trent, but he is certainly a lot faster. He has the ability to go beyond players, which is not one of Trent's skills. One against one, his pace really helps him to get out of trouble.”
“That is his biggest acquisition, that pace, that dynamic. I always felt that he was better in the future than he was defensive. In reality, the move to Leverkusen surprised us, but he had a good football brain and the ability to get players in the last third part.
“Celtic gave him his chance after Manchester City and he impressed in a fairly short time. In the career of many players you just need a spark or whatever and then suddenly, the barrel. That is what happened to him at Leverkusen.”
Leverkusen Success and beyond
There is no doubt that Frimpong has added to his game at Leverkusen, helped by finding his niche in the formation of Xabi Alonso. The wing-back role has made it suitable. “He is a mixture of right back and right winger, which probably explains his success,” says Taylor.
“He is very good at one-to-one situations, both defensive and attacking too. He really flourished that he had that kind of pride in order not to be beaten, but also in defeating opponents. So we did a lot of one-on-one drilling with him.”
That is the dedication of Frimpong that this commitment extends to hiring an individual coach when he returns to England to see family so that he can follow extra training, even during those volatile visits. It is an indication of an attitude that Liverpool will have noticed.
“I think he is a good boy who wants to learn about the game. Usually, with full-backs, you are a good attacking full-back or brilliant defensive. Jeremia has a good mix of both. But the style of Leverkusen is different from 4-3-3, there is no doubt about that.”
Part of the new Liverpool
The curiosity with Frimpong is how his recording on right back can influence the team. It is clear that the relationship between Mohamed Salah with Alexander-Arnold was a fundamental aspect of the success of Liverpool. Frimpong makes various movements.
An overlapping full-back can help create more space for Salah to occupy those spaces or to buy that group of a second when cutting on that left foot. As an alternative, could Frimpong move to zones that Salah would rather have for himself?
That is the challenge for Slot and with Conor Bradley as another option, he can adjust things on game-per game. What is clear is that Frimpong is not Alexander-Arnold. “He is a very different profile than Trent, physical and technical,” says Taylor.
“The biggest challenge with Jeremie was his concentration. Technically, he would be four out of 10 or eight out of 10. He would do things and you would think:” Come on, Je, pull yourself together. The next minute he would do something of world class.
“While Trent, I think, has been consistently at a very high technical level, but there have been questions about his defense. Of course, Jeremia will sometimes be wrong, but he really thrives in that challenge of the one-with-one situation.
“Again, he had such a pace and agility that he would sometimes make a wrong defensive decision, but would bring himself out of trouble with his recovery skills.” Liverpool supporters will welcome that – and for the price it seems smart. “He's a cut for that,” adds Sutton.
“I admire him best because he went in there. The boots of Trent are considerable to fill and he clearly feels that he can do it. It's a big chance for him to show what he can do.” History would suggest that Jeremie Frimpong has the habit of taking up the challenge.
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