Barcelona have reportedly submitted an initial offer for Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong, with Manchester United and Liverpool also keen on the defender.
In a marvellous campaign for the BayArena club, Xabi Alonso's troops charged through an entire Bundesliga term unbeaten, lifting their first-ever German title.
The dynamic play and running power of Frimpong at wing-back helped Leverkusen significantly towards their domestic double, with the 23-year-old scoring 14 goals and providing 10 assists across all competitions.
After back-to-back campaigns at Celtic - winning the Scottish Premiership title in 2020 - the right-back moved to Leverkusen in January 2021 and has since made 142 appearances for the current German champions.
Frimpong's antics at club level have allowed him to enter the conversation for a starting spot for the Netherlands at Euro 2024, as a defender or potentially in a more advanced attacking role.
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Barcelona make offer for Man United, Liverpool-linked Frimpong?
According to Spanish news outlet Sport, Barcelona have moved first in the early stages of a brewing transfer saga during the upcoming summer window.
The report states that the Catalan giants have submitted an initial offer for the 23-year-old, who could be involved in a swap deal alongside a Barca academy graduate.
Still walking a monetary tightrope in order to avoid breaching financial fair play rules, Hansi Flick's men are looking to be inventive in their dealings this summer.
It is understood that Barcelona could offer an initial fee plus attacker Ansu Fati, who spent the 2023-24 season on loan in the Premier League at Brighton & Hove Albion.
Spending time in the Bundesliga at Bayern Munich during his managerial career, it is believed that Flick has specifically highlighted Frimpong as a player that he wishes to bring to Camp Nou.
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Man United, Liverpool to face serious competition for Frimpong
With news of Barcelona supposedly making the first move in the race for the services of Leverkusen star Frimpong, it is clear that Man United and Liverpool will have a battle on their hands to sign the full-back.
Fellow Premier League powerhouses Arsenal and Manchester City have both been touted with an interest in the 23-year-old this year, making the acquisition of the youngster even trickier.
That being said, a £34m release clause - which reportedly expires on June 14 - is an attractive proposition to any potential suitors, although time is running out to trigger that option in Frimpong's contract.
Having started the Netherlands' 4-0 win over Canada last week, Frimpong will be hoping that he has convinced Ronald Koeman to start him during his side's Euro 2024 opener versus Poland on Sunday afternoon.
Carter White
