Liverpool will return to action after the November international break in second place in the Premier League, and should the small feat of victory at the Etihad Stadium against Manchester City be achieved this weekend, Jurgen Klopp‘s side will advance to pole position.
There’s a long way to go, but Klopp will be delighted with the way that his side has shrugged off last year’s malaise and charted a course for success once again, with the midfield acquisitions working a treat so far.
The Reds bosses will know that the rebuild is not complete, however, and away from the centre of the park, Klopp might have identified an exciting new addition for the right channel in Jeremie Frimpong.
Liverpool transfer news – Jeremie Frimpong
According to reports in Spain, Liverpool and Chelsea have entered the bidding for Frimpong and are poised to rival Real Madrid for the exciting talent’s signature.
Los Blancos president Florentino Perez is said to be unwilling to exceed the €35m (£31m) that he proposed for the Bayer Leverkusen star last season, which could pave the way for the Premier League sides to swoop.
Such hesitancy could prompt Klopp’s side to seal the deal and prevent Chelsea from strengthening in the process, and despite the right-back role probably not in need of urgent attention at Anfield, this could be a great investment.
Jeremie Frimpong’s style of play
Some people might question Liverpool’s reported interest in Frimpong given that Trent Alexander-Arnold plies his trade on Merseyside, but the club’s vice-captain has been touted for a move to midfield over recent months and there is a possibility that he will permanently drift away from right-back in the future.
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Jeremie Frimpong: Style of Play |
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*Sourced via WhoScored |
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Once dubbed “dangerous” by Riga boss Mihails Koņevs, Frimpong is also not constrained to positional restrictions, actually deployed higher up the pitch with Bayer Leverkusen as a wing-back, with the role showcasing his stunning offensive talents, having posted five goals and seven assists from 16 appearances across all competitions this term.
This is not something new; last season, the 22-year-old clinched 20 direct goal contributions from 48 outings, and is clearly developing into a formidable offensive force down the right wing, having been called a “speedster” by talent scout Jacek Kulig in the past.
Should Liverpool push on with securing his services, Klopp might be inclined to reshape Frimpong and field him further up the pitch, emulating the past success of tweaking the positions of stars such as Gini Wijnaldum and James Milner (and, to an extent, Roberto Firmino).
If this strategy were to pay off, Liverpool would wield a truly dynamic weapon capable of alleviating the burden of Mohamed Salah on the frontline.
Why Frimpong could be Salah’s alternative
As per FBref, Frimpong ranks among the top 3% of full-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 4% for assists, the top 7% for shot-creating actions, the top 1% for progressive carries and the top 2% for successful take-ons per 90.
Such metrics highlight the value that could be found in welcoming his skills to the final third, and while such rankings are impressive, perhaps his most important one is actually that he ranks among the bottom 1% for progressive passes per 90.
What this means is that Frimpong is scarcely playing deep enough to produce passes from deep, through the thirds, the fact that he also ranks among the top 1% for touches in the attacking box and progressive passes received per 90 evidences this.
It would open up a cavernous new realm of possibility for Klopp. Alexander-Arnold, for example, ranks among the top 1% of positional peers for assists and shot-creating actions and the top 3% for progressive passes per 90, among the bottom 36% for touches in the attacking box and progressive passes received per 90.
With a bit of work, the Leverkusen menace could be unleashed in Salah’s stead, offering a different style and an impressive array of tools at his disposal to aid the Reds as they scour Europe for silverware this season, competing across four different fronts right now.
The £67k-per-week Dutchman may not boast the innate goalscoring ability of Salah, but he would be an excellent foil. The Egyptian, candidly, is not easily replaced on that right wing of the frontline, having scored
Heralded for his “frightening” feats by Alexander-Arnold, Salah ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 6% for assists and the top 1% for touches in the attacking box per 90, clearly highlighting where his best qualities lie: as a focal point in the danger area.
The £350k-per-week machine has already plundered 12 goals and four assists from 17 matches this year and is proving to be the lynchpin once again. Despite the persisting din of Saudi Arabian transfer attention, he is in fine fettle and looks set to play a central role for the rest of the season, at the very least.
He perhaps needs a bit of cover though, with teenage prodigy Ben Doak immensely talented but lacking in experience and still a few years away from pushing for a starting spot.
Likewise, Harvey Elliott is capable of playing on the right but is preferred as a creative centre-midfielder, and is rarely fielded in Salah’s position.
Frimpong could be moulded into the perfect counterweight to Salah, and while it’s unlikely that he would be considered as the heir to his place in Klopp’s system, not boasting the cutting edge in front of goal, his juxtaposing skill set is exactly what Liverpool need to compete across multiple fronts.
Given that he could also be deployed as a right-back, this is surely a move that would promise great success for Liverpool, only increasing the dynamism.
