Slot’s Vision Takes Shape with Frimpong To Be Confirmed as Liverpool’s First Summer Signing | OneFootball

Frimpong’s Fast Lane: Liverpool Act Swiftly to Land Trent’s Successor

As Liverpool prepare to round off their Premier League title-winning campaign on the south coast against Brighton before a home game against newly crowned FA Cup winners, Crystal Palace, Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes have wasted no time laying the groundwork for the next era. With Trent Alexander-Arnold’s departure to Real Madrid confirmed, Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong is set to become the first arrival of the summer and kickstart this Slot era. The Dutch wing-back has completed the first part of his medical and is expected to officially sign when the transfer window opens on June 1st.

It’s a move that underlines the club’s renewed recruitment efficiency and strategic clarity under Edwards and Hughes—and one that gives Arne Slot a modern attacking outlet perfectly suited to a new dynamic. The playmaking fullback of old is about to be replaced with a far more direct successor, which could lay the groundwork for a very different approach.

A New Kind of Right-Back

Frimpong is no like-for-like replacement for Trent, and that’s exactly the point in this well-publicised move. Where Alexander-Arnold brought composure, distribution, and creative control from deep areas, Frimpong offers explosive acceleration, off-ball aggression, and final-third potency. The 23-year-old registered 14 goal contributions for Xabi Alonso’s title-winning Leverkusen side last season, operating primarily as a right wing-back in a high-line, high-energy setup. The intricacies involved in delivering a well-rounded fullback will take time, which will make for a thorough summer of training between the Dutch coach and the asset.

The player’s arrival signals a clear stylistic pivot: Liverpool won’t be trying to find another Trent—they’re building a different system entirely. With Frimpong providing natural width and relentless forward runs, Mohamed Salah will be free to step into central channels more often, potentially forming partnerships with a striker and attacking midfielder in tighter spaces. This freedom could revitalise the Egyptian’s output as he enters the final stage of his Anfield reign. However, there will still be a balance that needs to be coordinated in the defensive and middle third.

Defensive Balance Reimagined

Frimpong’s signing also hints at deeper structural decisions already in motion. His game isn’t built on positional discipline or defensive robustness—yet. But his intensity, stamina, and recovery pace offer the raw tools required to improve under Slot’s guidance. More crucially, his forward-thinking profile necessitates a new kind of midfield anchor—one capable of locking down transitions when Liverpool’s full-backs fly forward. The new may require a glance back to the old, one that was once orchestrated by Edwards under the stewardship of Jurgen Klopp.

Where Fabinho once patrolled the gaps left behind by marauding wing-backs, Liverpool is expected to move for a true defensive midfielder this summer who can mirror that security. The pieces are aligning: Frimpong is the width, the defensive midfield signing will be the balance, and the rest of the system will evolve accordingly. If Milos Kerkez is indeed the next piece to this intriguing Merseyside puzzle, it would be an even more exciting balance that would need covering.

Efficiency at Work

Perhaps most impressively, this deal exemplifies what Liverpool lost—and has now regained—during the final years of the Klopp era: decisiveness. With Trent’s upcoming exit still fresh in the headlines, the club has already reached the final stages of a replacement deal. Frimpong, a long-identified target, has not just been monitored—he’s been prioritised, approached, and progressed, all before the summer window has even officially opened. At around £30m, the deal is full proof for a former Manchester City academy graduate who will also act as a homegrown entity.

It’s a statement of intent and a sign that, under Edwards and Hughes, Liverpool’s football operations machine is once again humming. No drama, no dithering—just action. The club that once made its name on intelligent recruitment is back to doing what it does best, and once upon a time, that delivered a plethora of silverware.

Perfect Fit For Slotball

Arne Slot’s football is built on verticality, structured pressing, and overloads in wide areas—Frimpong fits that template like a glove. His ability to stretch the pitch, exploit high defensive lines, and create numerical superiority on the flanks makes him an ideal tool for Slot’s tactical blueprint, whilst also offering a right-wing alternative for when Mohamed Salah heads to the African Cup of Nations. With Liverpool already champions and planning the next chapter, Frimpong’s arrival could be the first flashpoint in an evolution that promises to be anything but dull.

The summer has begun, even before the 2024/25 season has ended.