Liverpool is reportedly closing in on a deal to sign Jeremie Frimpong after deciding to pay the Dutchman’s release clause, which is believed to stand at around $39 million.
Arne Slot is in need of a new right-back to fill the void that will be left by Trent Alexander-Arnold when he leaves the club to join Real Madrid during the summer transfer window.
Frimpong has emerged as one of the best wing-backs in the world, making his relatively modest release clause appealing to the Reds, particularly considering they are receiving no money at all for Alexander-Arnold.
Netherlands international Frimpong can expect to receive a hefty pay rise upon moving to Liverpool. According to Capology figures, the 24-year-old currently earns $86,000 per week at Leverkusen. That pales in comparison to Alexander-Arnold’s Liverpool salary, which stands at around $239,000 per week, according to Capology.
It is not clear how much Frimpong can expect to earn at Anfield last year, but he will certainly see a significant increase in his pay packet, while Alexander-Arnold’s weekly wage is set to rise to more than $280,000 per week at Madrid.
The England international’s base salary will also be bumped up significantly by his eight-figure signing on fee, which will be spread over the length of his contract in the Spanish capital.
Liverpool head coach Slot was asked about the prospect of Frimpong moving to Anfield in the summer but refused to speak specifically about the Leverkusen player.
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“It’s going to be a boring answer,” Slot warned. “For the whole season it was about contract extensions. And now we are arriving in a time where everybody wants to know which players we’re going to bring in.
“We don’t talk about the players we want to bring in, in public, until the moment they’ve signed for us. We already have Conor Bradley, Joe Gomez, so it’s not like when Trent is leaving I have no clue what to do anymore, but as a club, we are always looking at interesting players that can strengthen our squad. That’s the general answer, I’m not talking about individuals.”
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Slot also called for the noise surrounding Alexander-Arnold to end after a week of discussion surrounding the reception he received at Anfield a week ago.
Slot said: “Last week, people talked about it to me, then we had the reaction of the fans inside the stadium, then all the pundits talked about it, all the country talked about it, and now it’s time to draw a line under it. Let’s focus on the fact we won the league, and let’s enjoy the upcoming week and not talk about the Trent situation.”
