One of Jeremie Frimpong's ex-colleagues has expressed astonishment at the prospect of the Dutch international suiting up for Liverpool next term. The right-back looks to be on his way to Anfield from Bayer Leverkusen following the Reds' decision to trigger his $39 million/£29 million buyout clause.
Frimpong, who completed a medical this month, is said to have landed in England on Tuesday to wrap up his switch to the Premier League victors.
Liverpool wasted no time in securing Frimpong's signature, eyeing the defender as a successor to Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has signalled his intention to move on after his deal concludes.
Christopher Jullien, who shared the pitch with Frimpong at Celtic for one and a half years, totting up 29 appearances together and clinching a Scottish treble in the 2019/20 season, couldn't hide his excitement at seeing Frimpong make the leap to Liverpool.
Frimpong was a young 18-year-old fresh from Man City when he arrived at Celtic Park in September 2019, still to debut professionally. Nevertheless, he didn't hang about to carve out a spot in the Bhoys' lineup before his subsequent transfer to Leverkusen in January 2021.
Blown away by his 'unbelievable' spell at Celtic, Jullien is convinced that the now 24-year-old Frimpong will excel at Liverpool.
"Wow, that would be crazy," remarked Montpellier's Jullien to the Celtic Way about the potential of his previous teammate donning the Liver bird crest. "Yeah, I think that he has the quality for it, though.
Jeremie Frimpong
Jeremie Frimpong during his time at Celtic (Image: PA)
"He has shown it at the highest level against big opponents with Leverkusen, and I think he would be up for the challenge. He's a really good player.
"He is doing well at Bayer Leverkusen, and I think he will probably do even more at other clubs, because I did see that there were a lot of clubs interested in him.
"I am happy for him, because he deserves it. He has a good mentality, he is a good lad, and he deserves every inch of everything that he is doing. What a result for him.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Fanatics Official Sports Apparel — Liverpool
"I told our new right-back at Montpellier about the story of Jeremie, and how football goes so fast. I remember during the transfer window, he was not even in the team, and that he joined on Deadline Day or something like that.
"Then, after the international break that September, he began training with us, joined the squad, and made his debut two or three weeks later. He was just unbelievable - you could not take him out of the team.
"In the locker room, he always had a smile on his face. You could see his true character, and how he was. He was not faking it, and I think that is the best part that a human can be. Even after we had finished running, he brought energy to the group - he worked very hard."