Excl: “Has A Bit Of Everything.” – Expert View On Liverpool Targets; ‘Special Player’ & ‘Ozil’ Regen | OneFootball

By Priya Kaur

We were joined by Stefan Bienkowski of Transfermarkt, who highlighted that with the summer comes speculation and the Reds have been linked with some of Europe’s standout talents, Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz.

Frimpong is an exciting wing-back. With pace, dribbling and attacking intent, he has thrived in a wingback role under Alonso. However, his defensive reliability remains a concern.

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Stefan said: “He is certainly a special player, in certain aspects a world-class player, but it all comes down to the system. Trent had his head up looking for the through ball, and Frimpong is the opposite. He has his head down, dribbling and taking on players.”

Despite comparisons to Trent, Frimpong is a very different profile. He lacks the elite distribution and positional sense that Trent brings in deeper roles. As Bienkowski notes:

“I’d be wary if Liverpool signed him as a conventional right back… they had an issue fitting him into the back four at Celtic, and that’s why they sold him.”

Frimpong flourished at Leverkusen in a system that effectively masked his defensive vulnerabilities. Alonso used a back three that allowed him to bomb forward, leaving the defence exposed- something manager Arne Slot could replicate if Liverpool added a more positionally disciplined holding midfielder who could drop into the back line when needed.

“Maybe Slot’s idea is to bring in a more conventional number 6 who will drop back, becoming a back three and therefore Frimpong can move forward a little.”

The deal could represent smart business if viewed as a dual-purpose signing.

“He can fill in for Conor Bradley and play that fullback position, but equally can fill in for Mohamed Salah. He is not as clinical as Salah and by no means a long-term replacement, but he’s extremely useful and can become very valuable.”

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While Frimpong brings chaos, Florian Wirtz offers composure and control. A dynamic player with Ozil-like qualities, Wirtz is seen as one of the most complete young midfielders in Europe.

“He has a bit of everything, running directly at players, shooting from the edge of the box and putting in crosses. The comparison that keeps coming to mind is Mesut Ozil.”

Wirtz could be a perfect upgrade for Liverpool’s number 10 role, currently occupied by Dominik Szoboszlai, who has impressed but not quite delivered a consistent end product.

“Yes, by all means, he can play as a number 10. He is playing as a left inside-forward in Leverkusen’s 4-3-3, but he’s adaptable. If players like Darwin Nunez or Luis Diaz leave, that may open the door financially.”

Harvey Elliott fits that ‘worker’ mould, but can’t quite match Szoboszlai’s physical output or Wirtz’s vision.

Valued at €150 million, Bienkowski believes “if Liverpool give the asking price, Leverkusen will lay out the red carpet for them.”

If Arne Slot wants to add a world-class creative force, Wirtz is among the very best options, and the time to act is now.