'A no-brainer' - Jeremie Frimpong reveals message to his agent as Liverpool complete €35m signing of Trent Alexander-Arnold replacement from Bayer Leverkusen

The Merseyside giants activated the 24-year-old’s release clause, ensuring the deal will go through once the transfer window opens on Sunday. All terms have been finalised among the involved parties, with the agreement structured to be paid in three yearly instalments.

The announcement of Frimpong’s signing came just hours after it was confirmed that Trent Alexander-Arnold is on his way to Real Madrid. Sources indicate that Madrid agreed to pay a modest €10 million (£8m/$11m) fee for the 26-year-old, marking the end of his Anfield chapter.

Despite speculation suggesting Frimpong would step into Alexander-Arnold’s role at right-back, it is understood that Slot reportedly sees the Dutch international as more than just a defender and intends to utilise Frimpong as a stand-in for Mohamed Salah when the Egyptian forward is away on international duty for the African Cup of Nations in Morocco later this year.

Speaking to the club's website: Frimpong said: “It went quite easy. Liverpool came and said they had interest, and obviously for me it was a no-brainer. For me, it was like: ‘Whatever you guys do, just get this done’, [speaking to] my agents: ‘Just get this done.’

“Liverpool fans, I’m going to give my all, my energy, my work-rate and hopefully we can win together, we celebrate together, get everything together. I’m just excited to be here. Thank you guys for accepting me and I won’t let you guys down and I’ll give you the energy that you guys want.”

The transfer also represents a financial boost for Scottish champions Celtic, who inserted a sell-on clause when they sold Frimpong to Leverkusen in January 2021. The clause could earn Celtic around £5m ($7m), a significant return on a player they sold for a package believed to be worth up to £11.5m ($16m).

Liverpool’s interest in Frimpong is far from new. The club has been tracking him for more than 10 years, having initially tried to recruit him into their academy setup. However, he instead joined Manchester City’s youth ranks, where he spent nine years before moving to Celtic and later Leverkusen. Due to his extensive time in England during his developmental years, Frimpong qualifies as a home-grown player - a valuable asset under Premier League squad regulations.