In the midst of Liverpool’s title celebrations, vice-captain Trent Alexander Arnold announced he was going to leave the club at the end of his contract this summer.
Although it was a decision that felt inevitable, there seemed to be a slight souring of the mood around Anfield as fans voiced their frustration with the Scouser as they boo’ed him as he entered the pitch as a substitute against Arsenal.
Alexander-Arnold’s exit has thrown up several questions amongst the fan base, with no more prevalent than who is going to replace him, but it seems Liverpool have already put him in the past and are ready to move on.
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Liverpool set to trigger release clause of first summer transfer target
If you look internally, there seems to be several options at Arne Slot’s disposal ahead of next season.
Conor Bradley has impressed when deputising this season, while Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah have proved their worth at right back at times. Even Curtis Jones has put in an acceptable performance there this season in the Merseyside derby.
However, it appears Liverpool are prepared to bring in reinforcements as they gear up to defend their Premier League title. That reinforcment appears to be coming in the shape of Jeremie Frimpong, ranked at no.2 in FourFourTwo’s list of the best right-backs in the world right now.
The Times northern football correspondent, Paul Joyce, has confirmed that the Reds are prepared to formally trigger the £30 million release clause written into Frimpong’s contract.
Frimpong currently plays for Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverksuen, who are currently managed by ex-Red Xabi Alonso.
In the last two seasons under Alonso, the Dutch international has won the Bundesliga and DFB Pokal (whilst going undefeated in both competitions), whilst also reaching the Europa League final and Champions League quarter final. In 95 games, he’s contributed 19 goals and 24 assists.
The report states that the Dutchman’s versatility appeals greatly to the hierarchy at Liverpool, with potential to deploy him at right-back, right wing-back or even right winger.
Liverpool already have a significant Dutch cohort, with manager Slot, captain Virgil van Dijk, midfielder Ryan Gravenberch and attacker Cody Gakpo all hailing from the European nation.
In FourFourTwo’s opinion, the move makes a lot of sense for both parties. The release clause reportedly in Frimpong’s contract stands €15 million less than his current market value according to Transfermarkt.
Liverpool’s current chief executive Michael Edwards is known to find excellent value in the market, and signing Frimpong would represent a coup.
For the player, a move now feels like perfect timing. Alonso is due to leave the club at the end of the season, and after a stunning two years fans are unlikely to begrudge him for wanting to move on now.
Star midfielder Florian Wirtz also looks set to leave the BayArena, and could well end up on Merseyside as well, giving Frimpong even more reason to push a move to Liverpool through.
