Manchester United have illuminated the right-back department as one needing swift reinforcement, and the youthful speedster Jeremie Frimpong is top of the January shopping list.
Frimpong has been of interest to the Red Devils since before the World Cup, with Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg confirming the club’s interest in the Bayer Leverkusen starlet and stating that talks would commence following the international tournament.
Furthermore, Steve Bates, speaking to GIVEMESPORT, has claimed that the pieces to the puzzle fall kindly in the favour of United boss Erik ten Hag, who is enamoured with his offensive skill set.
Bates said: “He speaks English perfectly; he was brought up here, and he’s Dutch, so Ten Hag has got an in there let’s say that. And I think he’ll be certainly on the shortlist of players United will be looking at.”
The path to a concrete move remains hazy, obscured by rival interest from the likes of Chelsea, according to Football Transfers, and Ten Hag will indeed be to move swiftly if he is to ensure the ace’s Premier League future lies in Manchester.
"Outstanding"
Man United are indeed prioritising the right-flank, with Frimpong’s pace and offensive prowess viewed as the ideal counterpoint to first-choice Diogo Dalot’s dynamic approach to his play.
Despite signing for Old Trafford for an initial £45m, Aaron Wan-Bissaka has tumbled down the pecking order and faces an uphill battle that teeters on a clamber up a sheer cliff edge.
Reports earlier this year indicated that United were open to selling the 25-year-old in the summer, and now, having made just two appearances and one start under Ten Hag’s tutelage, the sandglass is near empty.
With Dalot’s position indeed cemented, the Red Devils need a more offensive-minded marauder to fight for a place in the team, and having scored five goals and three assists from just 21 appearances this term, Frimpong might fit the bill.
His youthful age of 21 years old bolsters his prospects of earning a move to one of football’s most illustrious outfits, with a spiky sheen of attacking intent fitting Ten Hag’s forward-thinking philosophy to a tee.
United’s Dutch manager is attempting to rewrite the script at the Theatre of Dreams, instilling confidence and that ‘fear factor’, fusing it together with a cohesive gel.
As per FBref, the "outstanding" - as hailed by Neil Lennon - former Celtic gem ranks within the top 2% of full-backs in Europe's big five leagues for non-penalty goals, the top 9% for assists and the top 1% for dribbles completed over the last 365 days.
And, at a club brimming with offensive guile such as Man United, there is no reason why Frimpong can’t nurture his abilities and blossom into a formidable and devastating tool down the right side of the attack.