Jeremie Frimpong Hints Liverpool Could’ve Signed Better Striker Than Isak & Ekitike

Jeremie Frimpong has indirectly told Liverpool they missed a trick by not swooping for a striker who could have cost significantly less than either Alexander Isak or Hugo Ekitike.

The Reds broke the British transfer record to sign Isak from Newcastle United on deadline day in an £125 million deal after a summer-long pursuit. The Swede grew into one of the Premier League’s most highly-regarded forwards at St James’ Park, finishing second in last season’s golden boot race with 23 goals in 34 games.

The 26-year-old arrived weeks after Arne Slot had already brought another of Europe’s most admired frontmen to Anfield when the club sealed a £69 million deal for Ekitike. The Frenchman had caught the eye in the Bundesliga at Eintracht Frankfurt, managing 22 goals in 48 games across competitions last season.

Frimpong’s Five-A-Side-Team Snubs Liverpool Duo Isak & Ekitike

Ekitike has made a promising start to life on Merseyside, silly red card aside, and Isak has yet to get his fair crack at the whip of leading the line in Slot’s side. But the defending Premier League champions have recently come off the boil and the money spent on the two strikers means both immediately come under the microscope.

The attacking duo were two of six summer signings along with Frimpong who arrived from Bayer Leverkusen in a £30 million deal at the very start of the window. The Dutch winger replaced Trent Alexander-Arnold who left for Real Madrid and was joined at Anfield by the under-fire Florian Wirtz who initially became British football’s most expensive player for £116m until Isak signed.

Frimpong has spent weeks playing and training with his Liverpool teammates and seeing up close how talented they are. They seem to have given a good impression of themselves as he has already named four Reds in a dream five-side team during an interview with TNT Sports:

The 24-year-old said: “In goal I go with Alisson, centre-back I’ll go Virgil (van Dijk), midfield I put Flo (Wirtz) and Ryan (Gravenberch).”

Those choices aren’t surprising from a talent standpoint, because it doesn’t take too long to realize Alisson Becker’s world class shot-stopping abilities and Virgil van Dijk’s flawless defending. He also plays with his club’s captain and the in-form Ryan Gravenberch at international level.

It was whom Frimpong chose up top that sprung a surprise given his new team have spent big bucks on Isak and Ekitike: “I’ll put Victor Boniface”.

Victor Boniface spent two seasons with Frimpong at Leverkusen and impressed for the German side in their unbeaten Bundesliga title-winning 2023-24 campaign albeit struggling with fitness issues. He managed eight goals in 19 league games but it was his all-round game that was heralded.

Frimpong isn’t alone in his admiration of Boniface, previously linked with Manchester United, as his former manager Xabi Alonso explained how influential he was that season. The Liverpool legend said just months after his arrival (via SportsMax): “He’s very important for us and has a big influence on our play. His influence off the pitch is also positive. He brings fun to the dressing room and is a good character.”

The 24-year-old was on the move in the summer and joined Werder Bremen on loan after a swich to AC Milan fell through. The Nigerian failed a medical due to knee issues which have plagued his time in Germany since arriving in the summer of 2023.

Frimpong’s on Opponent-Turned-Teammate Ekitike

Frimpong is only just getting to know Isak, who spent the entire summer downing tools to secure a move to Liverpool. But he was one of the very first members of Slot’s squad to welcome the Swede to the club, writing on his X account: “Welcome my g” while posting a picture of the pair meeting at the club’s training facilities.

Another of his new teammates, Ekitike, he knows from his time in Germany during the Frenchman’s spell at Frankfurt. He faced the 23-year-old on three occasions in which the versatile attacker managed to score twice albeit in defeats to Alonso’s Leverkusen.

Frimpong gave a glowing assessment of Ekitike last month having played with and against him. He told TNT: “He’s got a bit of everything. Reliable.”

There was nothing ‘reliable’ about his sending off against Southampton in the Carabao Cup after receiving a second yellow card for taking his shirt off when celebrating his fifth goal in nine games for the Merseyside giants.

Isak’s arrival has raised question marks over Ekitike’s acquisition because many feel the former Paris Saint-Germain attacker warranted a starting role up top in Slot’s team. It’s early days, but he has arguably proving to be the best piece of business conducted by the club in the summer.