Liverpool manager, Arne Slot has highlighted several reasons why the club signed Jeremie Frimpong and one of them is replacing Mohamed Salah during the Africa Cup of Nations.
Following the departure of right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, the Reds paid £29 million to Bayer Leverkusen for Frimpong. Slot thinks the Dutch utility player is more versatile than Conor Bradley, who many think will challenge him for the full-back position.
That will be beneficial when Salah, the star of Egypt, travels to Morocco for the AFCON, which takes place from December 21 to January 18. He may miss up to six Premier League games within that time.
What Did Slot Say About Frimpong Replacing Salah During AFCON?
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According to The Mirror, Slot said: “We definitely thought about that and brought in Jeremie Frimpong because he can play as a right-back but also as a right winger.
“We thought about how we can miss Mo for a maximum six games, that’s quite a lot. Signing Jeremie Frimpong was for multiple reasons but one was that he could replace Mo if he was not there.”
Liverpool have spent heavily this summer, spending around £300 million on transfers while earning £150 million from sales.
Rio Ngumoha, a teenage sensation, was the star of the preseason, though, and there is growing anticipation that he may be able to contribute to the first team ahead of this weekend’s Community Shield.
“You never know how an individual handles the situation,” added Slot. “A year ago, Trey Nyoni scored a goal against Sevilla when he was also 17, very young.
“They have an incredible chance to work and be around players like Virgil van Dijk, Mo Salah and all these incredible players every day and see what they do to be ready to perform every three days.
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