Rio Ferdinand has expressed his disappointment at Manchester United missing out on signing Jeremie Frimpong, describing it as a ‘hurt’ because the right-back would have been an ideal fit for Ruben Amorim’s tactical setup.
United had been monitoring Frimpong closely for over a year, with the 24-year-old earning significant praise during his standout 2023/24 season at Bayer Leverkusen under Xabi Alonso.
Building on that impressive form, Frimpong continued to attract attention this season, with Manchester United considered strong contenders to secure the Dutch international’s signature in the summer transfer window.
However, Liverpool ultimately outpaced United in the race after reluctantly accepting Trent Alexander-Arnold’s move to Real Madrid, confirming Frimpong’s arrival at Anfield on Friday.
Frimpong agreed to a five-year deal with Liverpool, joining the Premier League champions for a £29.5 million fee.
“It went quite easy. Liverpool came and said they had interest, and obviously for me it was a no-brainer,” Frimpong told Liverpool’s official website.
“For me, it was like, “Whatever you guys do, just get this done,” [speaking to] my agents: “Just get this done!”
He added, “Liverpool fans, I’m going to give my all, my energy, my work-rate and hopefully we can win together, we celebrate together, get everything together.
“I’m just excited to be here. Thank you guys for accepting me.
“I won’t let you guys down and I’ll give you the energy that you guys want.”
Interestingly, Liverpool’s interest in Frimpong dates back over a decade, with attempts to sign him on an academy deal as far back as 2010.
Despite this, United legend Ferdinand admitted the move still stings, confident that Frimpong’s style would mesh perfectly with Amorim’s approach.
“Frimpong is going to Liverpool which will hurt me a little bit, I’ve got to be honest,’ Ferdinand said on Rio Ferdinand Presents.
“I think he would fit the way that Ruben Amorim wants to play perfectly.’
On a brighter note for Manchester United fans, Ferdinand welcomed their first summer signing, Matheus Cunha from Wolves, pending visa and registration.
“I have to say, I’m really excited about Cunha signing,’ Ferdinand commented.
“I’m happy we signed him, I’m happy with how aggressive we’ve been immediately, acting on it instantly.”
Looking ahead, Ferdinand urged United to prioritize further signings, specifically a striker, central midfielder, and right-back.
“I think this is a great start to the transfer window. If I was advising the recruitment team on anything now, I would be saying, “Please make sure you do not forget an experienced No.9”,’ he said.
“I’m not going to say names, I’ve said the names too many times, and I would go and get a midfielder as well.
“A midfielder that can dictate the player and pass and be the orchestrator, but he also needs to have some legs about him as well. That’s what Ruben Amorim’s teams are about, they do that.
“Those two players would be the next ones, a centre-forward and a central midfielder, also a right-back.”
