Bayer Leverkusen fullback Jeremie Frimpong is having a breakout season and he has attracted significant interest from Manchester United
According to Florian Plettenberg, Manchester United has held talks with the agent of Jeremie Frimpong, Jeffery Lemmert. Plettenberg also mentions that Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag is an admirer of the Dutch fullback.
Jeremie Frimpong will be no stranger to Manchester should he join the Red Devils this summer. Frimpong spent 9 years in Manchester City’s academy as he grew up in England, moving from his birth country, the Netherlands, at a young age. Since Frimpong grew up in England, he is still eligible to play for them internationally, having not yet been capped by the Netherlands at the senior level.
Before getting a chance to make his professional debut with Manchester City, Frimpong left for Scottish giants Celtic in 2019. In his first season with the club, they won the treble with Frimpong and he was voted Celtic’s young player of the year. Before Frimpong could finish his second season with Celtic, he moved to Bundesliga side Bayer 04 Leverkusen in January 2020.
Last season Frimpong became the regular right-back for Leverkusen, helping the club finish third and qualify for Champions League football. This season Frimpong has become a breakout star in the Bundesliga and why the likes of Manchester United are gunning for his signature.
The Dutch U-21 International has 17 goal contributions this season, with 8 goals in the Bundesliga. Frimpong has become one the best offensive fullbacks in world football while also being phenomenal at progressing the ball up the pitch.
Does Jeremie Frimpong to Manchester United make sense?
Erik Ten Hag’s side currently has Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka as senior right-backs. Both of their contracts expire in 2024 and there’s an expectation that one of them will be leaving the club. The Top Flight reported back in January that West Ham had an interest in the player.
Frimpong has slowly become less of a fullback and more of a wingback at Leverkusen. His excellent offensive abilities come at the cost of lacking defensive prowess. Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman even said that Frimpong was not called up to the March squad because “My right back needs to be able to defend well“. Clearly, there is a downside to United potentially signing Jeremie Frimpong; he won’t be able to defend at right-back at the Premier League level. It will come down to whether or not Ten Hag is willing to trade that deficit for the elite level of attack Frimpong can offer.
Should Manchester United sign Jeremie Frimpong?