By Jack Lusby, ThisIsAnfield.com
With a medical accomplished and his contract signed, Frimpong will formally turn out to be a Liverpool participant when the switch window opens on June 1, as the primary signing of a window that can see Arne Slot reshape his title-winning squad.
In some ways it’s a obligatory signing, approaching the again of Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s public affirmation that he’ll go away the membership on the expiry of his contract, however there was shock because the story developed.
Liverpool had been extensively reported to be specializing in different areas within the squad, with left-back a precedence place, as Slot repeatedly pressured his religion in Conor Bradley as first-choice right-back.
That perception stays, with Bradley now signing a brand new long-term contract and beginning each video games since Alexander-Arnold’s announcement, however the addition of one other right-sider definitely provides to the intrigue heading into the 2025/26 marketing campaign.
Alternative
Put merely, the chance to signal a participant who, nonetheless solely 24, has performed 190 occasions for a Leverkusen facet who went unbeaten to carry the Bundesliga title final season, is a daily starter for the Netherlands and qualifies as homegrown within the Premier League was too huge to cross up.
To take action for simply £29.5 million owing to a launch clause in his contract on the BayArena made positive the numbers on the stability sheet matched up with these on analytics charts in Liverpool’s boardroom.
It’s that phrase, alternative, which has hallmarked Liverpool’s switch technique lately – and that can definitely stay the case this summer season regardless of extra of an emphasis on actively strengthening the squad.
Whereas in Slot’s first switch window he and sporting director Richard Hughes had been minded to remain affected person and solely strike if the precise deal offered itself – specifically Federico Chiesa as cheap, skilled ahead cowl at simply £10 million – now there are key positions to focus on and extra alternatives to pursue.
Take the shock curiosity in Frimpong’s Leverkusen teammate Florian Wirtz for instance.
Such has been Liverpool’s reluctance to have interaction in top-table tugs-of-war lately that there’s a disbelief over the membership genuinely committing as a lot as £125 million to signal one participant.
However, once more, weigh up the general metrics and that would nonetheless resemble worth for cash for a participant of Wirtz’s age, high quality, expertise and, maybe above all, versatility.
Versatility
Like Frimpong, who is predicted to compete with not solely Bradley at right-back but additionally present cowl for Mohamed Salah larger up on the precise flank, Wirtz is a participant who excels in quite a lot of roles.
The 22-year-old is at his greatest occupying the house between the strains as an attacking No. 10, however he’s additionally comfy deeper, on both flank and whilst a central striker.
Seven targets and 7 assists in 15 video games as a No. 9 of kinds might have satisfied Liverpool additional in a summer season the place strikes might develop for Darwin Núñez, Luis Díaz and maybe even Diogo Jota.
Whereas sure positions require specialists, as could be the case in signing Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez for the left-back spot, these working throughout the workplaces of the AXA Coaching Centre will take into account versatility to be a premium.
That additionally informs the profile of striker Liverpool will goal with Núñez on the very least set to maneuver on; moderately than the battering-ram centre-forward Jürgen Klopp and Pepijn Lijnders pushed for in 2022, Slot has outlined his desire for a nine-and-a-half.
Atlético Madrid’s Julián Alvarez would match that mould, as would Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike and equally Benjamin Šeško, as strikers who’re able to drifting and overlaying huge areas within the closing third whereas additionally offering that leading edge.
In fact, as with Wirtz, any of these gamers would require a big outlay, with Liverpool nearly sure to interrupt their switch document a minimum of as soon as this summer season.
Huge cash and early offers
That additionally seems to be a marker of issues to return: on the again of Slot’s excellent maiden marketing campaign, house owners Fenway Sports activities Group are ready to take a position closely to make sure continued success with a squad formed in his personal picture.
There will likely be an consciousness of an more and more inflated market and the pool of gamers who can break into the beginning lineup rising smaller and smaller, and due to this fact it could be essential to spend huge on a expertise of Wirtz’s ilk than, as has largely been their strategy earlier than, taking a calculated danger on potential at a cheaper price.
Liverpool are, in spite of everything, seated on the high desk and appear able to armour themselves to stay there – which, in a summer season furnished with the primary version of an expanded Membership World Cup, may even necessitate early enterprise for elite golf equipment whether or not concerned or not.
Frimpong’s arrival at Anfield stands to be the primary of many, and although a signing that got here out of the leftfield for these with reservations over his profile as a wing-back moderately than a pure right-back, that £29.5 million deal might inform us extra about Liverpool’s plans than it could appear.
(Cowl picture from IMAGO)
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