One of the first signings last summer for Liverpool was the clean and drama free deal to bring Dutch wingback Jeremie Frimpong to Anfield for a very reasonable £35 million.
He was coming off a highly successful spell at Bayer Leverkusen where he played 190 times and scored 30 goals to go along with 44 assists. He was a pacier version of creativity from right-back to replace the departing Trent Alexander-Arnold.
However, a myriad of fitness issues hampered any true impact he could have had this season. As a result, he made 35 total appearances across all competitions, with only 21 coming in the league.
His 4 G/A across the board was a far cry from the dynamism we saw at Leverkusen. On Wednesday, he saw the results of his difficulties played out back home.
Frimpong learns his World Cup fate
Jeremie has been a staple in the Netherlands national team setup in recent years, as his electric pace and trickery on the ball have proven to be valuable assets to the Oranje.
His ability to play natural fullback, wing-back and even as a winger meant his role was relatively secured and his chances would be plentiful for his country.
Unfortunately, his inability to stay fit for long periods this season, which in turn led to a struggle to maintain his usual form, made even him expendable to Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman.
As the Dutch announced their 2026 World Cup squad squad, Frimpong was one of the biggest names that was omitted from making the trip to North America. It's a difficult cap on what has been a rather pedestrian debut season with Liverpool for the 25-year old.
It will be even more frustrating as his Liverpool teammates Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch all got the call to represent the Oranje in the coming world spectacle.
Not quite the TAA replacement yet
As mentioned above, Frimpong was signed before the summer window even got going in response to Alexander-Arnold taking his ball and going to Real Madrid.
While it would have been impossible for the Dutchman to be a like-for-like swap with TAA, as his style is not the same, the output was somewhat equal prior to his arrival. As noted, his goals and assists dried up this season as he could not find the form that made him so desirable.
While Alexander-Arnold was a central hub in the attack, spraying passes all over, Frimpong operates more on the width where he can use his directness and explosive pace to attack defenders and create space for others.
However, in the current system being run by Arne Slot, he really did not allow the fullbacks to charge forward like we have become accustomed to seeing.
As a result, Frimpong and fellow new arrival Milos Kerkez both had their ceilings lowered by the tactics. In fairness to the coaches, when Frimpong was played in advanced areas later in the season, he failed to produce there as well.
While missing out on the World Cup in what should be your prime is a brutal development, I by no means think Frimpong is finished. This could be a blessing, as he will get a full summer of rest.
If he can enter preseason fully restored to 100%, with another summer in the system and around the club, I could for sure see a rebound next season. Especially if Liverpool can bring in a stud new RW.
A highly motivated and fit Jeremie Frimpong could still turn things around and use this World Cup disappointment to his advantage next season and beyond.
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