Bayern Munich and Barcelona are reportedly preparing to battle Manchester United for the signature of Bayer Leverkusen defender Jeremie Frimpong during this summer's transfer window.
The 22-year-old has been in impressive form for Leverkusen during the 2022-23 campaign, scoring eight goals and registering nine assists in 36 appearances in all competitions.
Frimpong has played both as a right-back and wing-back this season, and his versatility is believed to make him an even more attractive proposition for interested parties.
A recent report claimed that Man United had opened talks with Frimpong's representatives over a summer deal, with Red Devils head coach Erik ten Hag determined to bring him to the club.
However, according to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, there is also strong interest from Bayern and Barcelona, with both clubs having direct contact with the player's agent Jeffrey Lemmert.
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Barcelona will move for a new right-back this summer, while Bayern will be in the market for a player in that area of the field if they decide against signing Joao Cancelo on a permanent basis from Manchester City.
Diogo Dalot is expected to soon sign a new deal at Man United, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been in strong form at right-back since December, but the latter could still be sold this summer.
Frimpong came through the youth system at Manchester City, but he did not make a first-team appearance for the Citizens before moving to Celtic in 2019.
The defender was a key player during his two seasons at Celtic, featuring on 51 occasions in all competitions, before arriving at Leverkusen in January 2021.
Frimpong has now represented his German side on 83 occasions, scoring 10 goals and registering 18 assists, while he still has another two years left to run on his contract.
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Earlier this year, Leverkusen director Simon Rolfes said that he was "very relaxed" over the Netherlands international's future amid the ongoing speculation.
"We are very relaxed with Jeremie. It would be fatal if he didn't draw attention to himself from big clubs with these performances," Rolfes told Sky Deutschland.
"He is very conspicuous with his way of playing and is an enormously important player for us. I told him that he will still get his playing time with his quality within the tournament.
"He can decide a game with a single action because he's incredibly quick and good at dribbling. We'll be happy when he's back [after the World Cup] with us. Jeremie has a long-term contract at Leverkusen, so we're very relaxed."
Frimpong has eight goals and five assists in 26 Bundesliga appearances this season, with Leverkusen currently sitting in seventh position in the table, seven points behind fourth-placed Freiburg.
Matt Law
