Liverpool summer signing Jeremie Frimpong impressed in a closed-doors pre-season friendly against Stoke City this week as chatter hit social media about his performance out of position.
Frimpong, formerly of Bayer Leverkusen, signed for Liverpool this summer replacing the outgoing Trent Alexander-Arnold. Primarily playing as a wingback under Xabi Alonso in Germany, Frimpong was deemed a natural replacement for Alexander-Arnold to complete the back four alongside Milos Kerkez. The Netherlands international has a different skillset to his predecessor, but his blistering pace makes him a threat down the right flank at all times. So much so, that Arne Slot experimented with pushing him further up the pitch against Stoke City.
Frimpong apparently started on the wing with Conor Bradley behind him, with fans praising their link-up play. His pace as well remains a key talking point given how popular overlapping pacey defenders have become in the wake of Paris Saint-Germain’s rise last season.
Liverpool won 5–0 in the game at the AXA training centre. Frimpong and Kerkez could be the next pairing to emulate Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi as Premier League teams potentially move away from static, four centre back lines.
Plus, there’s the consideration that Frimpong could serve as an option in attack later this season when Mohamed Salah represents Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). The mid-season tournament has hurt Liverpool’s depth in the past, but perhaps their defensive signing can turn into an attacking one for an interim period.
Frimpong has big shoes to fill, whether he’s filling in for Salah hypothetically down the line or starting in defense where he was signed to play. Alexander-Arnold, despite his exit causing quite the controversy among supporters, was a talismanic presence for years under Jürgen Klopp.
The pressure is on Frimpong to fill Alexander-Arnold’s shoes adequately as the Reds aim to defend their Premier League title and put together a deeper run in Europe. Running into the PSG machine derailed their Champions League campaign. Losses to Newcastle United and Plymouth Argyle doomed Carabao Cup and FA Cup runs respectively, but walking away with the biggest trophy in England was a more than positive start to Slot’s tenure given how long it took Klopp to topple Pep Guardiola.
How the Dutch manager gets on and getting the most out of the signings he’s brought in, including Frimpong, Kerkez and Germany star Florian Wirtz, will decide whether or not he was a one-season wonder or the next great Premier League manager.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jeremie Frimpong Given Surprise Role in Liverpool Pre-Season Friendly.
