Liverpool fans are preparing to wait until the end of the season for an update on Trent Alexander-Arnold’s future.
The England international is out of contract at Anfield in June alongside teammates Mohamed Salah and club captain Virgil van Dijk.
All three players are eligible to open free transfer talks with rival clubs alongside their ongoing renewal negotiations with Liverpool.
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Alexander-Arnold has received an offer to join England teammate Jude Bellingham at Real Madrid and he is still weighing up his options over remaining on Merseyside or making the move to Madrid.
With no confirmation over his plans, Liverpool are already working on replacement options, with Bayer Leverkusen defender Jeremie Frimpong highlighted as a perfect candidate.
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Jeremie Frimpong’s Bayer Leverkusen contract, transfer value, key stats
Dutch international Frimpong has emerged as a leading option to fill Alexander-Arnold’s spot at Anfield if the latter leaves this summer after a superb few seasons at Leverkusen.
The 24-year-old joined the German side from Celtic in 2021 but his rise was turbo-boosted by the arrival of Xabi Alonso as manager in October 2022.
Frimpong played a vital role in Leverkusen’s first-ever Bundesliga title win under Alonso in 2023/24 with nine league goals scored from right-back.
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However, Liverpool are yet to formalise their interest, and reports from Teamtalk.com indicate Premier League rivals Manchester City are also tracking him.
Frimpong spent nine years in City’s youth set-up from 2010 to 2019, without making a first-team appearance, before moving on to Celtic.
Pep Guardiola is also on the hunt for a new right-back with Kyle Walker currently out on loan at AC Milan with the option to stay at the San Siro.
The report states Frimpong and Leverkusen have reached a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ over his future with the club not prepared to stand in his way if an offer arrives in the region of £33.1m [$41.7m] with his previous release clause now expired.
Despite his interest in a Premier League move, it is unclear if Frimpong would return to City without reassurances over his role, and Conor Bradley’s emergence is a factor at Liverpool.
With a contract until 2028 at the BayArena, Leverkusen are under no major pressure to sell, but Frimpong’s key numbers are causing a stir at Anfield and the Etihad Stadium.
Frimpong’s final tallies from a trophy-filled 2023/24 included 14 goals and 10 assists across all competitions and he finished top of the all-players list in the Bundesliga for progressive carries [153] and carries into the opposition penalty area [73].
In comparison, Alexander-Arnold scored three and assisted nine goals last season, in Jurgen Klopp’s final campaign in charge.
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