'that's when i knew' - what happened to frimpong at city as liverpool seal deal

LIVERPOOL HAVE COMPLETED THE TRANSFER OF JEREMIE FRIMPONG FROM BAYER LEVERKUSEN, SIX YEARS AFTER HE LEFT MANCHESTER CITY 03:00, 31 May 2025 "Liverpool came and said they had interest,

and obviously for me it was a no-brainer." The words of Jeremie Frimpong, who perhaps could have been Manchester City's answer to their right back dilemma but instead will be

calling Anfield home next season. Frimpong has completed his move to Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for a £29.5million fee as Arne Slot's side move quickly to replace the departing

Trent Alexander-Arnold. City's transfer troubles at right back remain. AC Milan have an option to buy Kyle Walker and even if the Italian side reject that opportunity it is hard to see

a future for the England international at the Etihad. Rico Lewis and Mathues Nunes shared Etihad right back duties this season and Pep Guardiola is in the market for at least one full back

this summer with Juventus' Andrea Cambiasso a long-time target. It could have been Frimpong stepping up. The 24-year-old joined City as a youngster but never really got close to a

senior breakthrough. He has thrived in Germany, winning the Bundesliga under Xabi Alonso and becoming a regular for his country. He is another City academy graduate excelling on the big

stage. Having joined the City Football Academy as a nine-year-old, Frimpong rose through the ranks to the Under-21s where he felt ready to knock on the door of the first team. Article

continues below But when he went into an end-of-season discussion over a new deal he left that room knowing he had to leave. “I kept playing [an age group] down and I think when I was

Under-23s at City, I remember going in for a new contract and that’s when I knew my path at City was different," he recalled. “They were talking about how I couldn’t get into the team

and were comparing me to other players in the academy that were doing better than me. I thought, ‘Yeah, I clearly don’t have a future here,’ so I’ve got to take a different step. “I remember

going to that meeting and he was saying, ‘You’re too small,’ and it’ll be too physical. That’s when I was thinking, ‘Oh s***, where am I going to go?’" City sold Frimpong to Celtic for

a bargain price of £350,000, rising to £1m in 2019 with a host of clauses attached. City then received 30 per cent of the £10m fee Leverkusen paid for him two years later, taking their

total profit on the full-back to £4.3m. City will point to Frimpong's move as further proof of their strong academy record. He started the prestigious FA Youth Cup final in 2019, and

his name is proudly displayed on the walls of the City Football Academy as an example of an academy graduate who has gone on to play international football. However, in an interview with

Rising Ballers earlier this year, the charismatic defender said he initially chose Liverpool over City when deciding on a club to join as a young boy. “There were scouts there. Like

Liverpool, Bolton, Man City, and a lot more. I chose Liverpool first," he said. “I was going to sign for them, but back then, driving wasn’t a thing, you know. My family wasn’t driving,

and it was far. Man City was local, so I tried Man City next. It made more sense. It was 15 minutes on the bus.” City will now watch Frimpong's progress with interest given they hope

to be challenging Liverpool again next season for the Premier League title. With Alexander-Arnold crucial to their form in recent years, and Frimpong a completely different kind of

full-back, his return to City as an opposition player will be a fascinating sub-plot to the title race next term. _---_ _Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you

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