Manchester United to rival Arsenal for Bundesliga star with €40m release clause: report
Manchester United and Arsenal both want the same star, with a release clause making a deal more attainable
Arsenal are facing stiff competition from Manchester United for Jeremie Frimpong of Bayer Leverkusen next summer, as both sides look to bolster their right-back position with fresh names.
FootballTransfers that both clubs are keen but, despite the interest of the Red Devils, the player is leaning more towards a move to Mikel Arteta’s side. Indeed, even though Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is interested in the player, it may not be enough to sign him.
The 22-year-old has been strongly linked with a move away from Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen, at which point a €40 million release clause in his contract will be activated.
The relatively low amount has piqued the interest of Arsenal and United, though it’s believed that the stability offered by the Gunners would help them win the race for one of the most exciting young full-backs playing today.
Frimpong has six goals and nine assists this season, being one of the most effective players in Europe’s top five leagues in his position – an amount that tops any of the Red Devils fullbacks.
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The defender has spent a lot of his life in the UK, having moved to the country when he was a youngster.
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He came through the ranks of the Manchester City academy but began his professional career playing with Celtic. The Bhoys are thought to have a 30% sell-on clause in the player’s agreement if he was to move on from Xabi Alonso’s side next year.
The publication states that Arsenal are seeking to strengthen the right side of their defence, even though talks with Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu are set for the future. It’s thought that former Citizens defender Joao Cancelo was a target, but now it’s Frimpong who is in Arteta’s sights to enrich the club next season.
Transfermarkt values Frimpong at €45m.
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Jacque Talbot is a freelance football journalist who predominantly specialises in transfer stories and exclusives. He began his career in 2016 covering the world-renowned Sandbach United, of North West Counties fame, before earning a spot on the sports desks of national papers, where he bounced between several outlets such as Sportbible, the Express, Mirror, and Daily Star. An NCTJ graduate of the News Associates who swapped investigative journalism in the Costa del Sol for football reporting in Northern England, he first wrote for FourFourTwo in December 2023.