Manchester United and Liverpool are refusing to throw in the towel when it comes to Bayer Leverkusen right-back Jeremie Frimpong, even with the Dutch-born Ghanaian generally expected to end up with Barcelona or Real Madrid.
United have danced this dance before, missing out on a teenage defender by the name of Raphael Varane – ironically born in Lille, as it happens – to Real Madrid in 2011.
A decade later, the Frenchman wound up at Old Trafford anyway, but his United spell is now at a close after three injury-hit seasons.
Frimpong, a product of Manchester City's academy has enjoyed a soaring rise into one of the world's leading attacking full-backs since Xabi Alonso revolutionised Leverkusen.
The 23-year-old finished the 2023/24 campaign with 26 goal involvements across all competitions, including nine strikes in the Bundesliga alone as newly dubbed 'Neverlusen' claimed their first title.
But those kinds of numbers have brought understandable attention and German publication SportBild writes that Manchester United and Liverpool are now showing interest.
That is on top of existing Barca rumours. Barcelona-based SPORT had earlier claimed that an offer for Frimpong from Catalonia is already on the table.
It is, however, thought to be a lowball proposal that doesn't meet a €40m (£33.7m) release clause in his contract – although that expires imminently.
Any move to Old Trafford or Anfield sooner than 2025 would likely rest on Frimpong rebuffing better offers from the likes of Man City, Bayern Munich and Arsenal, and urging Leverkusen to negotiate with Manchester United or Liverpool.
By: Pascal Amoah
