Latest news with #VirgilVanDijk
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Liverpool could sign a THIRD Leverkusen star
Liverpool known for having their favourite clubs to shop from in the transfer market. At first, Southampton were the favourite selling club, then it was RB Leipzig and now it's Leverkusen. The Reds were incredibly successful at developing a rapport and harvesting the best outlying crops that were set for a big move in their career. Sadio Mane, Virgil Van Dijk, Adam Lallana, and Danny Ings are all classic examples of player who moved to Merseyside from the Saints. Advertisement Over in Germany, we can track Ibrahima Konate, Naby Keita and Dominik Szoboszlai as the major players who have experienced both clubs and other targets such as Castello Lukeba could also move. But the new-found interest is with Bayer Leverkusen, after the successful transfer of Jeremie Frimpong which was announced by the club earlier this week. Florian Wirtz is set to be next in line to sign a Liverpool contract and a potential third scalp could now be eyed up before the summer ends. © IMAGO Space remains open for Hincapie to join Despite the likely transfer of Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth, the Reds might still be looking to fill a hole at left-back, bringing someone in who can help out from time to time and who might eventually be able to replace Andy Robertson when his deal runs out in 2027. Advertisement Furthermore, a centre-back is on Liverpool's list for recruitment and someone that is content to fill in around Virgil Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate is going to be a difficult balance to strike. Currently, Joe Gomez fulfils both of those duties, but the Englishman is increasingly unavailable from one season to the next and his contract also ends in 2027. The club might decide to move him on this summer, but regardless, the Reds' current longest-serving player is on borrowed time. At Leverkusen, Piero Hincapié is a player that would be able to solve all Liverpool's problems at once. At 23 years old, he fits the club's ideal age profile brief to a tee and despite his age, he already has a wealth of experience to fall back on. His development years are over, he's an incredibly reliable asset. Advertisement In addition, he is a regular in the Leverkusen squad and he is able to cover multiple positions, occasionally playing as the left-sided centre-back, who would be Liverpool's ideal left-back, as well as the middle centre-back in Alonso's back three set-up. As such, he would provide competition for Van Dijk, which would help the Dutchman to prolong his career by not playing every single minute of every game, as well as helping Robertson and Kerkez. He's 6ft, so he would be another tall asset to have in the opposition's box at corners and as mentioned earlier, his versatility makes him a perfect long-term replacement for the flexible Gomez role. Jorrel Hato at Ajax is a player who has also been earmarked as a target and he would perform similarly to Hincapie, although Chelsea are said to be interested in him, so we might now have an alternative. But convincing Leverkusen to give three players away to Liverpool is a significant ask. Erik Ten Hag is now the successor to Xabi Alonso, so his assessment of his squad will be crucial before we can get our hopes up, but once they've signed off on giving two players to the Reds, why stop there?
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Liverpool agree deal with Bayer Leverkusen to sign Jeremie Frimpong
Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen have struck a verbal agreement for right-back Jeremie Frimpong (24) to join the Premier League champions, according to Sports Zone. The outlet understands that both clubs and the Dutch international have found a total agreement. Frimpong was reportedly Arne Slot's primary target to replace the departing Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Liverpool Academy graduate has announced he will leave his formative club at the end of the season. Alexander-Arnold is expected to put pen to paper over a long-term deal with Real Madrid. It remains to be seen whether Liverpool will allow the England international to link up with Los Merengues for the Club World Cup in exchange for a transfer fee. Advertisement Liverpool have moved swiftly to replace Alexander-Arnold as they will trigger Frimpong's €35m release clause. Under Uefa regulations, the 24-year-old right-back would count as a homegrown player due to his past as a Manchester City graduate. The Dutch international is set to link up at Anfield with fellow Oranje Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo. GFFN | Bastien Cheval
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Liverpool transfer news as Reds 'given encouragement' to sign third Bundesliga star
Liverpool has already signed one player from the Bundesliga in Jeremie Frimpong, while a move for Florian Wirtz is advancing — and the club has reportedly received encouragement to sign a third star from the German top flight. Advertisement Liverpool is open to signing a new center-back during the summer transfer window, with Castello Lukeba of RB Leipzig said to be on the Reds' radar. Ibrahima Konate's future is shrouded in uncertainty as his current contract is due to expire at the end of next season, and Real Madrid is said to be lurking ahead of attempting to sign him on a free transfer next summer. Liverpool wants Konate to stay, but The Times reported earlier this year that he is pushing for $255,000 per week in order to sign a renewal, which is a 150 percent increase on the $102,000 per week he currently earns. READ MORE: Liverpool transfer news LIVE: Florian Wirtz mega offer, Luis Diaz 'talks', Jeremie Frimpong confirmed Advertisement READ MORE: Bayer Leverkusen sends cryptic Florian Wirtz social media post as Liverpool transfer edges closer The Reds do not hand out lucrative contracts willy-nilly, and the kind of money he is demanding would likely make him the club's fourth highest-paid player behind Salah, Van Dijk, and Wirtz, should the Leverkusen star move to Merseyside as expected. European champion Paris Saint-Germain, Konate's boyhood club, is also said to be interested in the 26-year-old. Virgil van Dijk has committed his future to the club for two more years, but there is uncertainty over the futures of Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah: Gomez is returning from hamstring surgery and Quansah is coming off the back of a regressive season. Advertisement Football Insider reports that Lukeba is high up on on Liverpool's list of potential summer targets, and it is claimed that Leipzig's seventh-placed Bundesliga finish could open up the possibility of him leaving the club this summer. Lukeba reportedly has a $100 million buyout clause in his Leipzig contract but there is little change of the Reds paying that much money for him when they are preparing to spend a club-record fee on Wirtz, and have already outlayed $39 million on Jeremie Frimpong. Meanwhile, Liverpool teenager Kieran Morrison is the subject of interest from Wolves, with clubs around Europe also said to be keen on the 18-year-old. Morrison, an attacking midfielder, made 27 appearances at youth level for Liverpool this season, scoring six goals and registering five assists. Kieran Morrison of Liverpool -Credit:2025 Liverpool FC The youngster, who Jurgen Klopp was seemingly a fan of, also made an appearance in Arne Slot's first-team squad earlier this year, when he was an unused substitute during a Champions League game against PSV Eindhoven. Advertisement Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano said that Wolves approached Liverpool over the possibility of signing Morrison, although it's not apparent at this stage what Liverpool intends to do. Morrison signed his first professional contract with the Reds in May 2024, having joined the Reds from Manchester United when he was playing at Under-14 level.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Liverpool trophy lift was everything I dreamt of - but most exciting moment could come soon
It has been another emotional week for Liverpool. The trophy lift on Sunday and the parade on Monday were incredible moments for the football club, before the city was stunned by events that followed on Water Street afterwards. Advertisement The scenes at Anfield and across the city streets were special for Liverpool supporters, who finally got to see their team lift the Premier League title in person. In this week's fan jury, our writers look back at some of the key moments in a glorious campaign and what it felt like to experience the trophy lift in person at Anfield. READ MORE: Darwin Nunez sends four-word Liverpool message as transfer uncertainty continues READ MORE: Florian Wirtz has made the right decision choosing Liverpool - Supporters will fall in love James Noble Within a weekend in which Liverpool's strength of spirit again came to the fore, Sunday fulfilled dreams. Virgil van Dijk lifting the Premier League trophy at a full Anfield was a moment 35 years in the making. Advertisement Alan Hansen fittingly presenting the trophy, and the presence of so many other legendary figures, reinforced the day's eternal nature. Preceded by that classy double guard of honour, the draw with Crystal Palace neatly reflected key components of the Reds' campaign, too. I'll almost always start a season believing that Liverpool can win the league, but I can't say I expected 2024/25 to produce a title. Third place felt a reasonable expectation. Arne Slot soon had optimism on the up as he took the reins from Jürgen Klopp with assurance and positivity. Evolution offered continuity and freshness, with Ryan Gravenberch a serene revelation in his new No.6 role. Liverpool moved with efficient consistency as Arsenal and Manchester City stumbled. Advertisement The statement Old Trafford triumph. The strong response to the Nottingham Forest defeat. The comeback win against Brighton. Darwin Nunez's late double at Brentford. The five league games, and 11 points, in 15 February days. So many crucial foundations for the subsequently blissful spring days. That Tottenham game, that final whistle – spine-tingling. A season dreamed of for so long. The most exciting part may yet be what it leads to. Rhys Buchanan It's been a beautiful yet strange last month or so with all of the peril removed from our collective shoulders. Following the explosive celebrations at Spurs in April, the party has rolled up and down the country, culminating in the joyous scenes we saw inside the ground and around the city across the weekend. Advertisement All of our expectations for this campaign were always tempered and realistic in the wake of Klopp's departure, though I think even early on in the season, Slot's clinical and calm presence did shift them slightly. The manager made a lot of tough decisions early on and constantly tweaked the formula to win us games. He certainly laid down some early statements as well, even his discontent with the Forest defeat showed just how high his expectations for this team were. I also think the leaders within our squad Virgil, Salah and even the likes of Robertson can take credit for just how smooth this transition has been. I could barely see the trophy lift through the flames, red smoke and confetti from my seat in the lower Anfield Road on Sunday, but it was absolutely everything I'd dreamt of for a lifetime and more.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
'Phenomenal speed' - what does Frimpong bring to Reds?
The arrival of Jeremie Frimpong at Liverpool is intended to help soften the blow of losing Trent to his numbers, the 24-year-old is arriving at Anfield with serious was one of the strongest runners in the Bundesliga in 2024-25, making 1,021 sprints, 2,116 intensive runs, registered a maximum speed of 36.34 km/h, and covered a distance of 259.6km over 33 is also Bayer Leverkusen's final game of the season, a 4-2 home defeat by Borussia Dortmund on 11 May, he played as a midfielder and scored. It was Frimpong's 23rd goal in 133 Bundesliga also completed 38 sprints - more than any other player on the pitch."What I find phenomenal is his speed when he is standing still and those kind of first few steps," former Germany midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger."That's what he's got and he loves going forward. So he is equipped to be a wing-back."Defensively, he is still a very good player but he is not your typical right-back that you see playing for teams like Inter Milan, who might defend for 90 minutes."Of course, there is a lack of height with him. But with his pace, drive and determination to set goals up, to get to the byeline and pull balls back, then wing-back is probably his best position."Will Frimpong make an instant impact in the Premier League?With Netherlands team-mates Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch in the Liverpool dressing room, he will be surrounded by some familiar faces as he looks to settle quickly."People are talking about Conor Bradley being Liverpool's first-choice right-back next season and I get that, but you need fierce competition and Frimpong would provide that," added BBC Sport pundit Chris Sutton."I know what an attacking threat he is, how quick and dynamic he is, and how good he is in one-v-one situations."Read more about what Liverpool can expect from Frimpong
