Why Southampton should swoop to sign Celtic defender Jeremie Frimpong
According to The Scottish Sun, Southampton are keeping tabs on teenage Celtic defender Jeremie Frimpong. The 19-year-old is also understood to be attracting a lot of interest from the EFL Championship amid talks over a new contract with the Scottish champions.
Profile
Born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Frimpong moved to England at a very young age, joining the Manchester City youth setup in 2010. The defender rose through the ranks at the club’s academy, breaking into the under-18 setup in 2016, before moving to the under-23s two years later.
Frimpong made 41 appearances for the Cityzens’ U-18s while featuring 21 times for the U-23s, scoring three goals and registering seven assists combined. (h/t Transfermarkt)
However, with chances of breaking into the first-team looking bleak, Frimpong left Manchester City, joining Celtic in the summer of 2019. Since joining the Hoops, the teenage full-back has grown into a key member of the team, racking up 3 goals and 6 assists in 41 appearances. (h/t Transfermarkt)
Eligible to play for Netherlands as well as Ghana, Frimpong has represented the former at the U-19 and the U-20 level so far.
Frimpong would add depth at right-back for Southampton
Southampton have made a brilliant start to the new season.
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side have scored 24 goals so far in the league this term but have let in as many as 17 goals. Only four other teams have shipped in more than Southampton. So tightening things at the back with defensive reinforcements in January would bode well for a tilt at a top-six finish.
The right-back slot is certainly a position where Hasenhuttl and Southampton can strengthen their squad in the winter. As things stand, the manager has Kyle Walker-Peters as the first-choice but there is no viable backup for the Englishman as Yan Valery hasn’t featured at all for the first-team this season.
Thus, bringing in reinforcements in the right-back position would be a wise move for the south coast club, making Frimpong a viable target. The 19-year-old settled in quickly at the first-team level at Celtic and has had some degree of exposure to European football, which ought to hold him in good stead.
His impressive performances this term, during which he has scored once and set up three more, gives a fair idea of his potential at right-back. At 19, he is only bound to improve further under a coach like Hasenhuttl.
Read More
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Verdict
Southampton need more depth at right-back and signing Frimpong would achieve that purpose. A talented young individual, the 19-year-old has shown great promise at Celtic and can be a smart long-term addition for the Saints.
