Man Utd and Man City battle to sign outstanding Bundesliga defender with 16 goal contributions

Premier League heavyweights Manchester Utd and Manchester City have both reportedly entered the race to sign Bundesliga title winner Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen in the January transfer window.

Football Insider understands that Pep Guardiola’s side are leading the charge to sign the Netherlands international, who was once on the books of Manchester City for nine years between 2010 and 2019 before turning professional with Celtic.

Frimpong made a name for himself in Celtic’s title winning squad under Neil Lennon and became a fan-favourite due to his exceptional pace and ability to bomb forward. However, at the time he was far from the finished product and occasionally left his team exposed in defensive areas when bombing forward.

Since signing for Bayer Leverkusen in January 2021, Frimpong has established himself as a force to be reckoned with.

Overall, the wing back boasts a record of 26 goals and 36 assists in 149 Leverkusen appearances including 12 goals and 11 assists - in a season which saw the team lift their first Bundesliga title without losing a single game in both the league and cup. Leverkusen also went all the way to the Europa League final, with Frimpong playing a defining role with three goals in 10 matches.

The 3AM verdict: For the last seven years, Manchester City have had, and in many ways still do have, one of the best right backs in world football in Kyle Walker, who has been a revelation since his £45m arrival from Tottenham - which at the time made him England’s most expensive footballer. However, Walker at 34-years of age, is approaching the twilight years of his career and in many ways Frimpong has all the attributes to be an ideal replacement.

When Walker arrived at City, he was an excellent attacking full-back with a tendency to occasionally make errors when pushing too far forward. Frimpong in many ways has alot of these characteristics but would offer City a huge attacking threat with his incredible crossing ability, while he could also benefit from the defensive knowledge of both Walker and Pep Gaurdiola’s coaching. Much of this would depend on just how highly the team rate Rico Lewis.

Frimpong would be a huge statement signing for Manchester United as well although their greatest priority at this point should remain signing a proven centre forward.