There were a lot of claims and counterclaims on the Jeremie Frimpong to Liverpool saga on Tuesday.
Reports in Germany writing said it was a ‘done deal’ and others claiming the Bayer Leverkusen wing back was not a target at all.
But the truth is somewhere in the middle. Here it is…
Frimpong is on the shortlist and well-liked by Liverpool should they decide to upgrade the right back area this summer after Trent Alexander-Arnold’s exit.
The 24-year-old Dutch international is understood to be extremely keen on the move and has a good relationship with Reds star Ryan Gravenberch plus fellow Netherlands colleagues Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo.
He has a £29.5million release clause built into his Leverkusen deal after signing a new contract last year and it is believed he has an unofficial gentleman’s agreement that he will leave this summer.
Jeremie Frimpong is on the shortlist and well-liked by Liverpool should they upgrade the right back area this summer after Trent Alexander-Arnold’s exit
Frimpong is close to Dutch colleagues Cody Gakpo, Virgil van Dijk and Ryan Gravenberch, and was at Anfield in November for Bayer Leverkusen’s 4-0 defeat by Liverpool
The 24-year-old Dutchman has flourished under Liverpool legend Xabi Alonso at Leverkusen
And for now, that is it.
Given the release clause, this one could indeed move quickly as and when Liverpool decide to pull the trigger on the deal.
The club will decide in the coming weeks whether to press forward or not – it is clear they like him and his profile a lot but it is not a done deal by any stretch at this stage
He’s not the only target, though…
Others targets are being considered for the right back role and Confidential can reveal RB Leipzig’s Lutsharel Geertruida is one of the alternative options.
It is not Liverpool’s style to just focus on one individual and Geertruida is a serious possibility, not least because he was such an influential figure for Arne Slot when the pair were winning trophies together at Feyenoord.
Geertruida can play as a right back, a right-sided central defender and, most significantly, can step into midfield and be used as a fifth man in that area – it is something he used to do to great effect in the Eredivisie.
Lutsharel Geertruida wasa an influential figure for Arne Slot when the pair were winning trophies together at Feyenoord
He was a part of the Netherlands squad that reached the semi-finals of Euro 2024
Such was Slot’s reliance on Geertruida, many in the Netherlands envisaged a situation where he would become the Liverpool head coach’s first signing but the 24-year-old ended up moving to RB Leipzig. He signed a contract to 2029 when he arrived last August.
A player well known to – and rated by – Liverpool’s Dutch contingent, Geertruida has been capped by his country on 16 occasions and was part of the squad that reached the semi-finals of Euro 2024.
Liverpool have always enjoyed a healthy business relationship with RB Leipzig, having bought Ibrahima Konate and Dominik Szboszslai from them in recent seasons, but nothing has advanced beyond interest at present. Geertruida’s future, though, should be followed closely.
Why not ask Real for £10m?
On the subject of right backs, enough has been said and written about the man whose name was booed at Anfield with the level of animosity you would expect for an opponent wearing the shirt of the Manchester clubs or Everton.
We all know Real Madrid want Trent Alexander-Arnold to be part of their Club World Cup squad and we all know he wants to be with them when they go to the United States – why else would he have announced his departure a month in advance of the mini-transfer window opening?
It’s been mooted that Real will offer £1million for Alexander-Arnold as some kind of compensation but think about this: the winners of the Club World Cup get £97m. If they want him that badly, they should be prepared to pay proper money.
So, if the call to Richard Hughes arrives, he should answer with: ‘£10m’. If they don’t want to play ball, Real don’t get their man until July.
Leeds eyeing Liverpool star
Leeds are considering a move for Kostas Tsimikas this summer after their promotion to the Premier League.
It is widely anticipated that Leeds’ current left back Junior Firpo will join Real Betis and Daniel Farke’s men are in the market for a replacement with Premier League experience.
Leeds are considering a move for Kostas Tsimikas this summer after their promotion to the Premier League
Caoimhin Kelleher has also been considered by Leeds but he is not their main target to upgrade on Illan Meslier at this stage
Tsimikas is likely to be available this summer with Liverpool targeting a new left back. The 29-year-old has a contract until 2027 at Anfield.
Caoimhin Kelleher has also been considered by Leeds but he is not their main target to upgrade on Illan Meslier at this stage.
Insight: how Slot works with transfer targets
Confidential got chatting to a past transfer target of Arne Slot this week and gained an interesting insight into how the Liverpool boss tries to convince players to join his clubs.
It was Sam Beukema who plays for Bologna – they take on AC Milan in Wednesday’s Coppa Italia final – and he nearly joined Slot at Feyenoord in 2021 but opted instead for AZ Alkmaar due to some financial issues at the Rotterdam club.
He told me: ‘I went round to his house. When I moved from Go Ahead Eagles to AZ, it was between AZ and Feyenoord, both were really interested in me. I talked with both of them. At that point Arne Slot was about to be the new coach of Feyenoord.
‘He invited me to his place and we had a really good conversation. You could tell he was a really good coach even though I did not play with him.
‘The way he spoke to me, the way he showed me some clips of me, I thought, “Wow, I did not think of that before, he thinks about football differently”.’
This does not exactly mean Slot is inviting Alexander Isak round for a cuppa – but it is an intriguing look into how he works.
Sam Beukema felt Arne Slot’s personal touch when he was a target for Feyenoord in 2021
Brighton not breezy
Liverpool might not be too bright and breezy when they head down to Brighton on Monday after a week, seemingly, on the lash!
Somewhere on the south coast right now, Fabian Hurzeler and Tony Bloom are probably rubbing their hands at videos of the Premier League champions partying in Dubai and Arne Slot in the DJ booths of Ibiza.
Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth are in a three-team shootout for the final European spot – three of the best-run clubs in the country punching above their weight so fair play to them – and will be hoping Liverpool are hungover for their trip to the Amex Stadium.
The Liverpool players jetted off to Dubai after the Arsenal game on Sunday as part of a farewell party for Alexander-Arnold and to celebrate their Premier League title
The Liverpool players jetted off to Dubai after the Arsenal game on Sunday as part of a farewell party for Alexander-Arnold and to celebrate their Premier League title. The team are staying at Atlantis The Royal – a luxury hotel on the Palm Jumeirah with 17 restaurants on site — and were also spotted on a yacht.
Guests at the hotel have full access to the Atlantis Aquaventure waterpark which has over 100 water slides. The cheapest rooms at the hotel cost approximately £1,000 per night though it is not clear which rooms the Liverpool players have been staying in.
Trophy lift tickets going for a small fortune
Tickets for Liverpool’s final game of the season against Crystal Palace are selling on the black market for £3,874.
The champions will lift the Premier League trophy on May 25 and data from Tipman Tips shows they are being flogged for an 8,509 per cent rise on the face-value price.
Confidential believes Liverpool have invested money and human resources into anti-touting measures over the last 12 months, with 75 lifetime bans and 136 suspensions handed out last season for those breaching ticketing rules.
The vast majority of those bans were handed down for unauthorised selling of season tickets, memberships or hospitality tickets, in breach of terms and conditions.
Plenty of fans have been stung by fake tickets, too, with digital tickets being cloned or faked. Liverpool employs three full-time staffers who oversee touting issues.
Chiesa to sign for Vatican City FC?
Last week started so well for Federico Chiesa, being namechecked multiple times by the new Pope – but then ended in him not even making the substitutes’ bench for Liverpool on Sunday.
It seems as though Slot just does not fancy Federico Chiesa
That first comment is a joke, of course. Chiesa is Italian for ‘church’, hence new Pope Leo XIV mentioning him several times in his speech on the balcony in the Vatican City.
But the second comment is no joke and more serious. After a brief cameo away at Chelsea to take his appearances total to five in the Premier League – enough to qualify for a medal despite his minutes only adding up to 41 – the winger was nowhere to be seen in the next squad.
That is rather damning and it feels like the end of the short road is near for Chiesa.
It will be a shame if he does leave as he seems a well-liked figure and wears his heart on his sleeve but, judging from team selections, boss Slot just does not fancy him.
Who does AI suggest to replace Alexander-Arnold?
We asked our friends at PLAIER to recommend some right backs suitable to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold based on their scouting model – and the results are intriguing.
PLAIER is leading the AI revolution within football to help sides make better informed decisions on and off the pitch and these would be the names that would be recommended to Liverpool should, like many clubs, use their system.
There is no indication these are on any shortlist, we might add.
Here is what they suggested when asked for right backs under the age of 25… Bruno Gomes (Internacional, Brazil), Arnau Martinez (Girona, Spain), Richard Ledezma (PSV, Netherlands), Eduardo Quaresma (Sporting CP, Portugal).
PSV’s Richard Ledezma is on AI’s shortlist to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold
Sporting CB star Eduardo Quaresma was also mentioned – but will they be on Liverpool’s list?
Danns on the move
Liverpool striker Jayden Danns’ father, Neil Danns, has a new job.
The former Tranmere assistant boss will be the new manager of local side Southport, who finished 18th in National League North this season. He will be assisted by former Liverpool youth player Mark Duffy, who had a distinguished EFL career at clubs such as Sheffield United.
They will be hoping it is the start of a string of good news stories around the Danns family after forward Jayden failed to play a single minute on loan at Sunderland due to a back problem that was flagged at his medical and has wrecked his entire season.
Danns, 19, is regularly spotted reporting for duty at the AXA Training Centre and is working hard on his rehabilitation. He will hope to play a part in the pre-season tour of Hong Kong and Japan this summer – but a loan seems likely next season.
You can pay for the chance to walk out at Anfield and access all areas – even Slot’s seat!
Walk the walk of legends
Fans will have the chance to walk on to the Anfield pitch as part of celebrations around winning the Premier League title.
On May 27 and 28, fans can step on to the playing surface and take photos for 20 minutes each, including a chance to sit in Arne Slot’s seat on the bench and the commentators’ gantry.
Tickets are priced at £60 for adults and £45 for children which includes a professional photograph taken with the trophy and entry into the Liverpool museum.