Real Madrid’s search for a new right-back isn’t confined to just Trent Alexander-Arnold, according to a reliable transfer reporter.
The Champions League holders’ interest in the Liverpool vice-captain has been well-documented, and the season-ending injury to Dani Carvajal (who’ll be 33 in January) could see Los Blancos push to sign a long-term replacement for the Spaniard.
Real Madrid eyeing possible Trent alternative
Taking to X on Monday evening, Florian Plettenberg reported of the LaLiga champions’ apparent interest in Jeremie Frimpong.
🚨👑 Understand that Real Madrid are monitoring the situation of Jeremie #Frimpong for next summer – confirmed ✔️
Bayer 04 Leverkusen are aware of it.
The 23y/o right wing-back is one of the names on Real’s list.
🆕 A summer transfer of Frimpong is also possible as he still… pic.twitter.com/BETkHNtooN
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) October 14, 2024
The Sky Germany transfer guru posted that Real Madrid are ‘monitoring the situation of’ the Bayer Leverkusen wing-back with an eye to a potential swoop next summer, with the Bundesliga title holders ‘aware’ of the intentions from Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
A move at the end of this season is deemed ‘possible’ for the 23-year-old, whose contract runs to 2028 and contains a release clause in the region of €40m (£33.4m), although he currently has no plans to leave the BayArena this winter.
Could a move for Frimpong help to keep Trent at Liverpool?
We expect that Real Madrid will maintain their rumoured interest in Trent, but it’s nonetheless encouraging that they also appear to be exploring a possible move for Frimpong.
Should the Leverkusen dynamo prove to be more readily attainable than the Liverpool vice-captain, Los Blancos may elevate him to the status of priority right-back target, particularly if it looks as though our number 66 might pen a contract extension at Anfield.
Of course, that situation lingers like a persistent cloud over the 26-year-old, and various pundits have been queuing up to add fuel to the fire over a possible move to the Bernabeu for the England international.
However, Frimpong is no slouch either, with an eye-catching tally of 18 Bundesliga goals since the start of 2022/23 – a remarkable return for a wing-back – and his ‘obvious strengths of pace, flair and aggressive intent’ (The Athletic) would be an asset to any team.
The hope from a Liverpool perspective is that Real Madrid will ultimately focus their attention on the Netherlands international rather than Trent. Should our vice-captain end up at the 15-time European champions, though, it might leave the door open for the Reds to pounce for Leverkusen’s flying Dutchman instead.