Liverpool manager Arne Slot is a big fan of Bayer Leverkusen full-back Jeremie Frimpong and talks to him regularly.
That’s according to journalist Christian Falk, for BILD, who reports that Slot and Frimpong ‘talk to each other regularly’ after the Liverpool manager wanted to sign him in the summer.
Liverpool are likely to be on the hunt for a new starting right-back this summer if Trent Alexander-Arnold departs Anfield as expected.
His currently deal at the club expires in the summer alongside Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dik and all three players are yet to put pen to paper.
Alexander-Arnold has looked the most likely to depart, with consistent reports in Spain that Real Madrid have already wrapped up the deal for him. They even want to bring him to the club in January but refused to go above a certain price as Liverpool held on to their man instead.
All signs currently point to Madrid for the full-back, though, a move that will leave a major hole in Arne Slot’s defence despite the emergence of Conor Bradley over the last year.
Bayer Leverkusen star Frimpong could be the man to step into the void and Falk reports he and Slot have a longstanding relationship.
“This is true. Both Dutchmen are obviously great at talking,” he said when asked if Slot has a ‘dedicated line’ to the player.
“I’ve heard they already talk to each other regularly. The right-back would obviously fit in there perfectly, especially if Trent Alexander-Arnold goes to Real Madrid because they need him in that position.
“He has that release clause of around €40 million, and yes, Arne Slott actually wanted him at the start of the season.”
The journalist, though, believes that €40m asking price could prove to be a problem for Liverpool, particularly if Salah, Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold all leave on free transfers.
“But all parties know that Trent Alexander-Arnold would leave for free, Salah would leave for free, if at all, and Van Dijk would leave for free. So, not much money is coming in; €40 million is a lot of money if the other players need to be replaced,” he added.
“They also have to adhere to Financial Fair Play to some extent. And as I said, if there’s no money coming in for top players like Salah and Van Dijk, if they don’t extend their contracts, and they have to be replaced, it’s obviously a very, very large amount of money they’ll have to spend.
“We’re certainly looking at a three-digit million figure, and an additional €40m is still a lot of money.”
