Liverpool could ruin Bradley by signing £35m “monster” this summer

Liverpool’s 3-1 victory over Sheffield United on Thursday evening was a testament to the belief and doggedness that has been restored under Jurgen Klopp’s tutelage last season.

The Anfield side certainly fell remarkably flat last season but powerful summer signings to the midfield and an almighty wave of youth emergence has lifted the squad back to prominence, having clinched the Carabao Cup already, perching top of the Premier League table after 30 fixtures and awaiting Atalanta in the Europa League quarter-finals.

With Klopp’s farewell parade in full swing, the lingering, gnawing dread that is the German’s departure persists, and while former frontrunner Xabi Alonso will remain at Bayer Leverkusen, there is confidence that the right alternative will be picked.

Speaking of Leverkusen, who are arguably in the finest form across Europe this term, Liverpool might not be grabbing their manager this summer but there are rumours that one of the table-topping German club’s highest performers could be headed for Merseyside.

Liverpool eyeing Bundesliga star

Liverpool focused solely on the reconstruction of the midfield last summer but focus might turn elsewhere in the months to come, and with Trent Alexander-Arnold long touted for an eventual move to midfield, the Reds appear to have registered an interest in Jeremie Frimpong.

According to Football Insider, Liverpool are preparing to battle against Arsenal and Manchester United for the dynamic wing-back’s signature, enticed by the bargain £35m release clause in Frimpong’s contract.

The 23-year-old is set for a trophy-laden campaign under Alonso’s wing and might feel that a move to English football would be the best move for his skyrocketing career.

Jeremie Frimpong’s season in numbers

Frimpong was formerly a member of Manchester City’s unrelenting youth production line, but he failed to make his mark and signed for Leverkusen in a £11.5m back in January 2021 after leaving Pep Guardiola’s outfit for Celtic, where he made his name.

He’s been a well-regarded talent for some time but he has come alive under Alonso’s management and has been in scintillating form this season, posting 12 goals and 11 assists from 35 games in all competitions as Die Werkself cruise toward the Bundesliga title, also into the DFB Pokal final and awaiting West Ham United in the Europa League quarters.

Liverpool could yet meet this Leverkusen superteam in continental competition and Frimpong will be one of the biggest thorns to deal with, with his 23 direct goal contributions this season surpassing that of Luis Diaz (18) and Diogo Jota (also 18).

As per FBref, Frimpong ranks among the top 1% of full-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 2% for progressive carries and successful take-ons, the top 8% for assists and the top 6% for shot-creating actions per 90.

It goes without saying that he’s something of a sensation in the attacking third, with talent scout Jacek Kulig aptly summing him up as “one of the best wing-backs in Europe.”

It is important to note that Frimpong is not a traditional right-back, ranking among the bottom 5% of positional peers for tackles and the bottom 1% for progressive passes per 90 to underscore this.

While he’s in the upper echelon of attacking wide defenders, the same bracket as Alexander-Arnold, the respective phenoms could not be more different in their approach, with Liverpool’s vice-captain thriving through his genius ball-playing ability, operating as a defence-splitting outlet from deep.

Frimpong would provide Liverpool with an excellent new dimension, but one can’t help but feel it’s a move that doesn’t make an incredible amount of sense.

Joe Gomez is starting to ply his trade across a range of different roles but he is a fantastic right-back. Moreover, Conor Bradley has burst onto the scene with frightening success this year and signing Frimpong might just prove to be detrimental to the 20-year-old’s development.

Transfer could ruin Conor Bradley

Bradley is undoubtedly one of the finest talents at Liverpool right now, and that’s saying something. Klopp’s swansong season has seen so many exciting teenagers burst onto the scene but few would argue that Bradley isn’t the creme-de-la-creme.

Winning Bolton Wanderers’ Player of the Season award while on loan with the League One club last season, the Northern Ireland international has gone from strength to strength since breaking into the first-team with regularity in January, taking advantage of Alexander-Arnold’s recent injury issues.

And what a breakthrough it was, with Bradley scoring one goal and supplying six assists across 20 appearances for the Anfield side this season, instrumental in winning the Carabao Cup and fighting for major honours to this point.

He ranks among the top 17% of full-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 1% for assists, the top 11% for shot-creating actions, the top 14% for passes attempted, the top 8% for progressive carries, the top 9% for successful take-ons, the top 1% for tackles and blocks and the top 15% for aerial duels won per 90.

In the Premier League, while only playing eight matches, Bradley has blitzed competition and averaged 1.8 key passes, 3.5 tackles, 5.0 ball recoveries, 1.4 dribbles and 7.5 successful duels per game, as per Sofascore.

He’s the real deal and with so much room still for growth. Bradley has the trappings of a world-class star and while Frimpong is a top-class attacking outlet, described as a “monster” in the final third by The United Stand’s Beth Tucker, he does not boast Bradley’s roundedness and defensive tenacity by half.

It just doesn’t make sense to inhibit the development of one of the Premier League’s most prodigious up-and-comers for a player who ostensibly doesn’t have the same spread of elite qualities.

Bradley must be provided with the platform to grow into the player that Klopp and all involved at Liverpool know he is capable of blooming into.