Twenty3’s Under 23s to watch: Jeremie Frimpong
Jeremie Frimpong could be on the cusp of a move to one of Europe’s top sides.
The talented young right-back played a starring role for Bayer Leverkusen as they finished sixth in the Bundesliga and reached the semi-finals of the Europa League.
Using Twenty3’s Smart Reports, we analyse what Frimpong has to offer and why he is attracting attention from some of Europe’s biggest clubs – including Manchester United.
Forming Frimpong
After impressing at Manchester City’s academy, Frimpong made the jump to first team football by moving to Celtic.
He made 21 appearances across all competitions at the age of 18 as the Hoops won a domestic treble in 2019-20, before departing for Leverkusen the following January.
His first half-season in Germany was stop-start, but he cemented himself as a first-team regular in his second year.
Last season, however, the 22-year-old kicked on and has reached a new level under the guidance of head coach Xabi Alonso.
Flying forward
Frimpong registered eight goals and five assists in the Bundesliga last term, an impressive output for a right wing-back.
He pushes high up the pitch and hugs the touchline to stretch opposition defences, generally overlapping right winger Moussa Diaby – who likes to cut in from the flank onto his stronger left foot.
His take-on numbers more closely resemble those of a winger than a full-back – he has attempted the second-most dribbles in the Bundesliga (212) and has completed more than any other player (123).
The Dutchman even managed 111 touches in the opposition box – the 12th-most in the Bundesliga – highlighting his desire to get forward.
Frimpong’s xG shot map visualisation reveals that the majority of his efforts came from the right-hand side of the box, where he arrives late to attack crosses from the opposite flank.
His finishing was superb, with his eight goals coming from an expected goals total of 5.37 from 34 shots.
The useful comparison radar revealed that Frimpong profiles similarly to Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies – Frimpong will be hoping to mirror the Canadian’s rise and a big move this summer could be the first step towards achieving that.
Creative crossing
Frimpong’s incisive and aggressive runs into advanced areas are dangerous not only because they pull opposition defenders out of shape, but because he can take full advantage of his ability to pick a teammate out in and around the box.
The shot assist map reveals the type of passes he picks out after overlapping – primarily driven crosses across the face of goal or cutbacks to teammates arriving in the box,
Last season, he assisted 36 shots and completed all 23 of his attempted key passes as well as 31 crosses – ranking sixth among wing-backs and full-backs in the division.
The Dutchman is good at timing his runs to remain onside and take passes in his stride before evading his marker to deliver an accurate cross.
Defensive duties
Under Alonso, Leverkusen look to press aggressively out of possession – and Frimpong is no exception.
He has won 111 of his 179 defensive duels and registered 182 ball recoveries, 82 coming in the opposition’s half and 14 which were categorised as dangerous.
His willingness to scrap for possession is evidenced by the 99 loose ball duels he has attempted – the second-most in Bundesliga among full-backs and wing-backs.
At 5ft 7in, he is not an aerially dominant defender, however, winning just 18 of his 46 aerial duels.
Overall, Frimpong is an extremely promising prospect – he is capable defensively and possesses exciting qualities. At just 22, he is only likely to get better – where that will be remains to be seen.
All visualisations and Smart Reports in this article were produced with the Twenty3 Toolbox. For more information, please get in touch below.