Any hope of finding a like-for-like replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold was non-existent. He is a unicorn, a passing full-back like no other. But perhaps Arne Slot did not want a like-for-like replacement. Jeremie Frimpong brings different qualities.

The release clause in Frimpong’s Bayer Leverkusen contract was set at £29.5m and that represents value for Liverpool. This is a 24-year-old player with a record of high achievement following his hugely successful three-season stay in the Bundesliga.

Julian Ward, Liverpool’s technical director, has a mantra when it comes to recruitment. His belief is that new signings should, ideally, have had a career before their Liverpool career. Frimpong has that having been a key part of Leverkusen’s double-winning side.

There will be an expectation that he can adapt quickly. While born in Amsterdam and a Netherlands international, Frimpong grew up in the North West of England – only choosing Manchester City’s academy over Liverpool’s for the ease of the commute.

His personality provides further optimism regarding a swift adjustment. It shone through even in those youth days. “He is an interesting character, a really likeable lad,” Gareth Taylor tells Sky Sports. “Loads of energy and enthusiasm, on and off the pitch.”

Fighting for a career at City

Taylor coached Frimpong at development level during their time together at City. One game, in particular, stands out. It was against Derby County in the FA Youth Cup and Felix Nmecha had been sent off so the pressure was suddenly on Taylor’s City side.

“We pushed Jeremie from right-back almost up to right-wing in order to get some form of ascendancy when we had the ball. He was outstanding. When Felix left the pitch, the game was a little bit up in the air but Jeremie just tore them apart.” He scored the winner.

That Taylor mentions one particular game is perhaps an indication that Frimpong was not the star performer each week in a stacked City squad. Nmecha himself, now playing for Borussia Dortmund and a Germany international, was the more obvious standout.

“You could always tell that Felix had that potential to kick on. No one probably really saw it with Jeremie. They did not see that he was going to be the one to go and do what he has done in football. I think he has surprised a lot of people by going under the radar.

“It has not been a real surprise to me just because whenever we had meetings with the academy manager I would tell them that this guy is not daunted by any situation. In big games, he was never overawed; he always stepped up. His levels went even higher.”

It is why Taylor sees Frimpong as someone “you always wanted on your side” but reaching Pep Guardiola’s first team was no more than a distant dream. “It was probably quite clear early on that maybe he was not going to be a player for Pep,” acknowledges Taylor.

“If anything, it probably helped Jeremie because if the organisation is not too sure on a player, then that player is probably going to feel it. So, I think he was always trying to prove himself.” Being at the other end of the spectrum can be a problem for players too.

“When you have got players who are really well thought of and they know it, that is not always a good thing either. I think Jeremie has always had to fight. He comes from a big family and I can imagine he had to fight to be heard. He has taken that into his football.”

In 2019, Frimpong signed for Celtic. “I think Jeremie going to Celtic was much better for him. It was a great move. Some players have to almost drop off the radar for a bit and then come back. Before you knew it, he was off to Celtic, playing in big games for them.”

Making a quick impact at Celtic

Frimpong agreed a four-year contract at Celtic but stayed for only one and a half of those seasons. Although he was sent off in a cup final against Rangers at Hampden Park, Celtic went on to win the game and Frimpong completed the treble that season.

Former Celtic favourite Chris Sutton remembers a “bubbly character” who won over the crowd with his electric pace. “He was absolutely rapid,” Sutton tells Sky Sports. “He has just got that real burst of dynamism over six yards and he can get away from people.”

He adds: “He is a different type of player to Trent. He does not have Trent’s passing range but he is certainly a lot quicker. He has that ability to go past players, which is not one of Trent’s skill sets. One against one, his pace really helps get him out of trouble.”

“That is his biggest asset, that pace, that dynamism. I always felt he was better going forward than he was defensively. In truth, the move to Leverkusen took us by surprise, but he had a good football brain and that ability to get past players in the final third.

“Celtic gave him his opportunity after Manchester City and he impressed in a pretty short space of time. In a lot of players’ careers, you just need a spark or whatever and then all of a sudden, it catches fire. That is what happened with him at Leverkusen.”

Leverkusen success and beyond

There is no doubt that Frimpong added to his game at Leverkusen, helped by finding his niche within Xabi Alonso’s formation. The wing-back role has suited him. “He is a mixture of right-back and right-winger, which probably explains his success” says Taylor.

“He is very good in one-against-one situations, both defensively and offensively as well. He really thrived on having that kind of pride at not being beaten defensively, but also in beating opponents as well. So we used to do a lot of one-on-one drills with him.”

Such is Frimpong’s dedication that this commitment extends to hiring an individual coach when he returns to England to see family so that he can do extra training even during those fleeting visits. It is indicative of an attitude that Liverpool will have noted.

“I think he is a good lad wanting to learn about the game. Usually, with full-backs, you are either a good attacking full-back or brilliant defensively. Jeremie has a good blend of both. But Leverkusen’s style is different to 4-3-3, there is no doubt about that.”

Part of the new-look Liverpool

The curiosity with Frimpong is how his inclusion at right-back might impact the team. Most obviously, Mohamed Salah’s on-pitch relationship with Alexander-Arnold was a fundamental aspect of Liverpool’s success. Frimpong makes different movements.

An overlapping full-back might help create more space for Salah to occupy those spaces inside or buy that split-second when cutting onto that left foot. Alternatively, might Frimpong be moving into zones that Salah would prefer to have to himself?

That is the challenge for Slot and with Conor Bradley as another option, he may adjust things on a game-by-game basis. What is clear is that Frimpong is not Alexander-Arnold. “He is a completely different profile to Trent, physically and technically,” says Taylor.

“The biggest challenge with Jeremie was his concentration. Technically, he would be a four out of 10 or an eight out of 10. He would do stuff and you would think, ‘Come on, Jez, pull yourself together. The next minute, he would do something world-class.

“Whereas Trent, I think, has been at a very high technical level consistently but there have been questions around his defending. Obviously, Jeremie will get things wrong sometimes but he really thrives in that challenge of the one-against-one situation.

“Again, he had such pace and agility that sometimes he would make a wrong defensive decision but get himself out of trouble with his recovery skills.” Liverpool supporters will welcome that – and at the price, it seems shrewd. “He is a snip for that,” adds Sutton.

“I quite admire him for going in there. Trent’s boots are sizeable to fill and he obviously feels he can go and do it. It is a big opportunity for him to go and show what he can do.” History would suggest that Jeremie Frimpong has a habit of rising to the challenge.

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