Liverpool will be alerted to the availability of Bayer Leverkusen‘s Jeremie Frimpong as a potential successor to Trent Alexander-Arnold, though he may not be the club’s ideal signing, Reds transfer expert David Lynch has claimed.
The Merseysiders were held to a 2-2 stalemate by Arsenal on Sunday at Anfield, but the game was overshadowed by the negative reception Alexander-Arnold received from fans following his announcement that he will leave.
Liverpool have been linked to several replacements for the defender, with Leverkusen’s Frimpong touted as someone of interest to the club.
While Lynch expects Frimpong to be available in the summer, he was of the view that his signing would not make sense given the team already have Bradley on their books, telling Sports Mole: “I saw what David Ornstein wrote, which was that he’s going to be on the market. He’s going to be fairly cheap. He would jump at the chance to join Liverpool. But that doesn’t mean Liverpool are interested at all.
“He is a right wing-back. He’s not a right-back at all, and when you’ve got someone like Conor Bradley who can nail down that shirt, is Frimpong going to want to come be the backup to that? I don’t think so. I don’t think he would be a better fit for that role than Conor Bradley is. I’m sceptical about those links.”
Frimpong would reportedly be available for a fee in the region of £30m due to the existence of a release clause in his contract, though he would likely expect to come in as a starter given he played a starring role for Leverkusen under Xabi Alonso.
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Will Liverpool sign a right-back in the summer?
While Frimpong may not represent a sensible option for Liverpool given he would demand a starting spot, the Reds will almost certainly need to sign a right-back to add depth.
Alexander-Arnold will soon depart, while versatile defender Joe Gomez has also been strongly linked with an exit from the club, meaning the boss Arne Slot could be left short at the back without reinforcements.
Lynch argued that Liverpool are more likely to look for a backup to Bradley when he told Sports Mole: “With Bradley being so young, you need a backup there. Would Liverpool be better signing a Tsimikas type or a more experienced guy who can be the backup? If you’re getting someone younger than Conor Bradley to back him up, they’re going to be a child, so you need someone more experienced to be playing that role.
“I’ve noticed a couple of journalists have dropped Ola Aina‘s name in and that would be an interesting one. On a free transfer, an experienced backup there who would complement Conor Bradley well – maybe that could be the one that Liverpool go for, someone of that ilk. That’s one to keep an eye on.
“The idea of getting someone younger than Conor Bradley to back him up, I don’t think that’s going to be the way. You can find other ways around it, but there’s no question that Liverpool can’t go into next season with Conor Bradley as their sole right-back because they still don’t have the evidence that he can get through a season [as first choice].”
Nottingham Forest’s Aina has excelled in the league this season, and the 28-year-old could be available for a relatively modest price considering his contract is set to expire in the summer of 2026.
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Can Bradley be relied upon?
Bradley was chosen by boss Arne Slot to start against Arsenal, and the Dutch boss praised the effort’s of the 21-year-old, insisting that the defender is ready to step up in the absence of Alexander-Arnold.
Though the Northern Irishman has demonstrated that he is able to contribute positively to the first team, he has missed nearly 50 games due to injury since the beginning of 2023-24.
Speaking to Sports Mole, Lynch expressed his view that injuries are a concern with Bradley and are the only thing that could hold him back, saying: “The best predictor for injuries in the future is injuries in the past – that tells you something about his fitness. Slot said that part of the reason for the injuries was that Bradley is in and out of the team, and his body is not growing used to a 40-game season.
“Maybe Liverpool think there’s something they can do there, and they’ve had a very good record for injuries this season. But in terms of quality, there’s absolutely no doubt. If you were looking out for a right-back to replace Trent, you’re never going to find someone with the same qualities because he’s an absolute freak of nature. Nobody plays right-back like him.
“Bradley’s not as good in terms of progressing the ball with his passing, but he is still progressive. He’s very good getting forward and showed that when he came on the pitch against Chelsea. If you’ve got a quality player like that coming through your academy, you’ve got to make use of it. He absolutely is a quality player, and he will be given the chance to show that.”
Considering Liverpool are likely to conduct significant business in the forward line as well as in other areas of defence, perhaps allowing Bradley to claim his place in the XI would allow Slot to use funds to reinforce in higher priority positions.
