Why Jeremie Frimpong could be as important as any of Liverpool's big-money signings

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After the ninety-or-so minutes are up, Arne Slot must go down as one of the calmest, most sensible managers the Premier League has seen. Always measured, always polite, always fair, pretty much unflappable.

But if you wanted to be mischievous and wanted to wind up the Dutchman, there is one easy ruse. Mention how much money Liverpool spent last summer.

Or, to be more specific, mention how much money Liverpool spent in transfer fees without mentioning how much money they received in transfer fees. As it happened, no-one had to mention it after the narrow win against Wolves , Slot brought it up himself.

He brought it up in the context of the unfortunate injuries to Alexander Isak and Giovanni Leoni, and to the physical problems that have interrupted Jeremie Frimpong’s start to life at Liverpool. Slot has a point, but only a minor one.

Regardless of their sales, the bottom line is that Liverpool spent well over £400million on new players and their collective impact has been limited. Which is why - even though the victory was over whipping boys as hapless as any team the Premier League has seen - Liverpool’s performance against Wolves held some significance.

The headline performer was Florian Wirtz, very belatedly scoring his first goal for the club. But the support act was probably more impressive.

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At Spurs a week previously, most people credited him for setting up Hugo Ekitike’s goal but, officially, his deflected cross did not register as an assist. Whatever your take on that, there was no doubting his assist for Ryan Gravenberch against two-point Wolves.

And it was a game-changer. Over 40 minutes of tedious deadlock had preceded the moment when Frimpong’s burst of inspiration set up what was eventually a hard-earned Liverpool triumph. An explosion of pace followed by the most intelligent of cut-backs.

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“Pace, that is what he has,” said Slot. “That is so crucial in modern football. The goal he assisted was pure individual ability.”

Spot on. Frimpong himself was clearly delighted, talking to social media to say: “Four wins in a row to wrap up the year, Can’t wait for 2026 with you reds.”

And in 2026, Frimpong could be as important as any of Liverpool’s big-money signings. After a third consecutive Premier League win took Liverpool into fourth place, Slot spoke about how important Trent Alexander-Arnold had been in the title-winning season.

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Frimpong ís no like-for-like replacement but he has a versatility on the right flank that should be invaluable if he stays fit for the second half of the season. After starting as right-back, Frimpong then moved forward after the introduction of Conor Bradley.

Assuming Mohamed Salah does play for Liverpolol again, there is no reason why Frimpong cannot form a very productive relationship with the Egyptian. Especially against teams as limited as Wolves.

And one thing is for sure. If Slot ever stops being prickly about the amount of money Liverpool spent last summer, he might soon reflect on the £30million spent on Frimpong as money very well spent.

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