Manchester City are set for a big summer, with a potential rebuild on the cards.
It has been a very difficult season so far, although fans will hope that a corner has now been turned after that thumping 4-0 win over Newcastle United at the weekend.
Manchester City were very busy in January, signing four new players.
Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis and Nico Gonzalez – who wowed against Newcastle on Saturday – all came in and the hope is that the quartet will help City finish 2024/25 strongly.
It was something of a mini rebuild.
But City will likely be signing a number of players this summer and Manchester City News has been told there is one player the club are actively working on ahead of the next window.
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Man City currently doing work on Jeremie Frimpong summer transfer, Liverpool also keen
One player who left City in January was Kyle Walker.
The captain had really struggled prior to his departure, turning in a string of poor performances.
He left to join AC Milan on loan, with the Italian giants holding an option to buy him in the summer, which is highly likely to be triggered.
So at the moment, City only have Rico Lewis as a natural right-back, although he often plays in midfield.
Khusanov is an option to play there, as are John Stone and Manuel Akanji, who is now out injured for a number of weeks.
But City see right-back as a position to strengthen – and Jeremie Frimpong, a reigning league champion with Bayer Leverkusen, remains on their radar. Frimpong has been seen as a potential replacement for Walker for a while now.
Sources have told Manchester City News, via transfer expert Graeme Bailey, that City are still very much in the mix for the Netherlands international, with a move to Real Madrid for the player now looking unlikely.
City are doing their due diligence on him ahead of the summer, and could make an approach to Bayer Leverkusen. The player is keen to return to England, with Frimpong, of course, having played in City’s academy.
But Manchester City News has also been told that Liverpool have an eye on Frimpong, with Trent Alexander-Arnold looking set to leave. But the Reds may also seek a younger player to compete with Conor Bradley.
Why Jeremie Frimpong left Man City
City moving for Frimpong in the summer would certainly be very interesting.
It is not often the club bring back former players.
Frimpong – who has a release clause of just over £33 million (Mirror) – was in the City academy for nine years from 2010 to 2019, and last year he opened up on why he left the Etihad Stadium.
He told Sports Bible: “I kept playing [an age group] down and I think when I was under-23s at City, I remember going in for a new contract and that’s when I knew my path at City was different.
“They were talking about how I couldn’t get into the team and were comparing me to other players in the academy that were doing better than me. I thought, ‘Yeah, I clearly don’t have a future here,’ so I’ve got to take a different step.
“I remember going to that meeting and he was saying, ‘You’re too small’ and it’ll be too physical.”
Frimpong – who has been branded ‘a special player’ by his manager Xabi Alonso (via GGFN) – then joined Celtic in September 2019, but he is now definitely to watch for City fans for a potential return to the club this summer.
