Jeremie Frimpong was Liverpool’s first signing of the summer to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold and has been hailed as a great addition, but former Reds star Steve Nichol is not convinced about the right-back
Former Liverpool star Steve Nichol has questioned Arne Slot’s signing of Jeremie Frimpong, bizarrely claiming the right-back could “get in Mohamed Salah‘s way” because both players love to get forward.
Liverpool signed Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen for £30million as a direct replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold after his move to Real Madrid.
Many pundits and fans have hailed the transfer as a smart piece of business after Frimpong’s sensational performances for Leverkusen that helped them win their first ever Bundesliga title in 2023-24, as well as the cup double.
But ex-Reds man Nichol is not convinced by Frimpong and says he can’t see where the 24-year-old fits in at Anfield. The 63-year-old insisted he wasn’t good enough defensively and risked interfering with Salah’s play while bombing forwards.
“Yeah, (it’s Frimpong or Conor Bradley who start) if Salah’s fit,” he said, speaking to ESPN. “If Salah’s not fit then Frimpong starts where Salah plays. In the starting XI, everybody’s fit, I don’t see… no, (I’m not comfortable with Frimpong at right-back).
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“I’m interested to see what Arne Slot wants him to do. Because right now, in my head, I’m thinking, ‘is he going to get in Salah’s way?’ That’s what I’m thinking. Defensively, it’s not good. It’s just the same as Trent, he’s not that great a defender.
“Going forward he’s got different attributes to what Trent had but again, I keep ending up at the same thing, is he going to get in Salah’s way?
“I think absolutely, if everybody’s fit Bradley starts, I don’t think Frimpong starts. I don’t see where he fits in, I really don’t.”
Frimpong was the first of two major deals Liverpool have completed this summer – with the other one being the biggest transfer of the window after ex-Leverkusen team-mate Florian Wirtz joined him at Anfield for £116.5m. That was a British record buy.
Meanwhile, left-back Milos Kerkez is on the verge of being announced as he prepares to complete a £45m move from Bournemouth.
Other targets Slot is reportedly pursuing include Newcastle forward Alexander Isak and Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike.
A new defender is also high up on the Dutchman’s priority list as he looks to find a long-term successor to Virgil van Dijk. Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi has been linked.
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