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Liverpool are set to bring in an elite first summer signing, as Arne Slot looks to build on a championship-winning team.
While the Reds will be satisfied with keeping key stars Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk with contract extensions dished out recently, there's an acceptance that the club will have to spend this summer if they are to retain their title, after only bringing in Federico Chiesa this time last year.
Article continues belowLiverpool close to confirming superstar deal
It's in replacing the outgoing Trent Alexander-Arnold that Liverpool may have the biggest task, however, given everything that the Real Madrid-bound star gives to the team.
As well as being a complete right-back capable of inverting or overlapping for Slot's team, Alexander-Arnold is considered one of the principal playmakers of this Reds side – and with the burden of creativity resting on the likes of Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister in the absence of the right-back, Slot may have to add a similar kind of output machine in order to compensate.
According to a report from German publication Kicker, the Reds are looking to remedy the loss of Alexander-Arnold with a similarly high-octane replacement in the form of Jeremie Frimpong.
The Bayer Leverkusen right-back – ranked at no.2 in FourFourTwo's list of the best right-backs in the world right now behind Alexander-Arnold – is said to be “on the verge of a move” with the deal “close to being successfully completed”.
It was reported last summer that Frimpong wanted to move to Anfield, though the Dutchman never got the move due to Alexander-Arnold remaining put – but after Die Schwarzroten manager Xabi Alonso's recent resignation, it appears that several Leverkusen players may have uncertain futures on the Rhine, with Florian Wirtz and Jonathan Tah prime candidates to follow the Basque boss out of the door.
FourFourTwo understands that personal terms with Frimpong may have long been agreed, with recent reports suggesting a move could now be tied up quickly, should a fee be agreed imminently.
Sport Witness claim that Frimpong has a release clause of €40m, which would mean that the Merseysiders could simply trigger a move for the 24-year-old without his club's consent – but with Liverpool perhaps wanting to negotiate instalments for the payments, Leverkusen could be open to a discussion.
Frimpong is worth €50m, according to Transfermarkt. Liverpool travel to Brighton next when Premier League action returns.
