Jeremie Frimpong: What New Liverpool Signing Offers Premier League Champions | OneFootball

Liverpool’s rapid revival over the past decade has been made possible due to their flying full backs, with Jürgen Klopp having transformed the club’s wide play.

The boundless energy and creative influence of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson have been instrumental to the club’s success, but one half of that double act will be absent next season. The latter has joined Real Madrid on a free transfer and leaves a sizeable void in Liverpool’s right back position.

The Reds have acted swiftly in their hunt for Alexander-Arnold’s successor, though. Jeremie Frimpong has been identified as the ideal heir and Liverpool have wasted little time in securing a deal, triggering the £30 million ($40.4 million) release clause in his Bayer Leverkusen contract.

Alexander-Arnold’s departure has proven a devastating blow but the quick replacement of the Scouser has lifted morale. Frimpong’s arrival, alongside the emergence of Conor Bradley, has supporters feeling positive despite the exit of one of the world’s best.

But how does Frimpong compare to Alexander-Arnold and Bradley? What can Liverpool expect from their new arrival?

Attacking Contribution

Bradley will compete with Frimpong for minutes next season. / IMAGO/Sportsphoto

Liverpool’s full backs have become renowned for their relentless attacking contributions. Under Klopp and to a lesser extent under Arne Slot, the width provided by the marauding Alexander-Arnold and Robertson has been key to unlocking opposition defences, especially those intent on sitting deep and frustrating the Reds.

While goalscoring has generally been left to Mohamed Salah down Liverpool’s right, Alexander-Arnold has been the assist king. 23 strikes are far outweighed by an astonishing 92 assists in 354 appearances, with the Englishman establishing himself as one of the world’s best distributors. Whether from set pieces or open play, his deliveries and long-range passing have been integral to the club’s attacking play.

Bradley draws more parallels with Robertson than Alexander-Arnold in style and has also become an offensive threat. He’s managed a goal and 11 assists in 57 appearances—contributing to a goal approximately every five outings—and is a menace with his lung-busting bursts down the flank.

Frimpong arrives with a similarly attacking reputation. The versatile 24-year-old, who has operated across the right-hand side for current employers Bayer Leverkusen, has been a revelation in the final third for the 2023–24 Bundesliga champions. In four-and-a-half seasons he’s produced 30 goals and 44 assists, often taking up extremely high positions as a wing back or even an orthodox winger.

In swapping Alexander-Arnold for Frimpong, Liverpool certainly won’t lose any attacking muscle. In fact, they could gain some.

Defensive Quality

Alexander-Arnold has been criticised for his defensive issues. / IMAGO/Pro Sports Images

Alexander-Arnold’s only weakness is his defending, which is not ideal for a right back facing some of the world’s best wingers in the Premier League and Champions League. The 26-year-old’s positioning and difficulties in one-v-one situations have often been exposed, although he’s certainly not as poor defensively as many claim.

Bradley is a more traditional right back, seemingly enjoying the physical battles with opposition wingers that Alexander-Arnold feared. The way he stifled Kylian Mbappé in Liverpool’s victory over Real Madrid earlier this season spoke volumes, although the 21-year-old still has room for defensive improvements.

Frimpong has been lauded for his attacking quality but whether he can function effectively in a flat back four remains to be seen. With defensive cover behind him in Xabi Alonso’s 3-4-3 system at Leverkusen, the Dutch international is able to be more gung-ho in individual duels. He also needs to do far less defending than Alexander-Arnold and Bradley.

Frimpong has averaged just 1.13 tackles per 90 this season compared to Alexander-Arnold’s 2.74 and Bradley’s 1.79, while he also averages fewer interceptions and clearances than the Liverpool duo. In terms of tackle success rate, he has a slightly higher percentage than Alexander-Arnold but lower than Bradley.

It’s hard to compare Frimpong to Liverpool’s right backs due to their positional differences, but the Reds are certainly signing the former Celtic man for his attacking prowess rather than defensive solidity.

Final Verdict

Frimpong could be an extraordinary success on Merseyside. / IMAGO/Steinsiek.ch

For £30 million, Frimpong’s signing is simply a no-brainer for Liverpool. He’s one of the best attacking full backs in world football—if not the best—and has been mentored well by Alonso. He’s versatile, has room to improve and is joining a squad in which he has established relationships with several international teammates.

He will not offer the same passing wizardry as Alexander-Arnold but, like his soon to be teammate Bradley, is an indefatigable runner who loves to take advanced positions. Defensively he’s no slouch, but he’s not renowned for crunching tackles or last-ditch blocks. Perhaps that’s an area of his game Slot feels he can improve in the coming years.

But Frimpong’s success could well hinge on how he’s utilised. Should Liverpool play him as a right wing back, which would require a significant formation shift, then he will undoubtedly prove an exceptional asset for the Reds. However, using him as an orthodox right back in the Reds’ current setup could leave him exposed defensively, especially with the attack-minded Salah in front of him on the wing.