Liverpool fans will love what Jeremie Frimpong has just said about Wirtz
Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz were unstoppable for Bayer Leverkusen when they won the Bundesliga in 2023/2024 under Xabi Alonso.
Wirtz netted 11 goals and recorded 12 assists when Leverkusen went unbeaten in the German top flight.
Frimpong, 24, had nine goals and assists from right-back that season.
The German side has changed massively since then, as they have lost the two star players to Liverpool, and Erik ten Hag has replaced Alonso as manager.
Frimpong: Wirtz is ‘very special’
Wirtz and Frimpong have been teammates for five years in Germany, and both were excellent in the Champions League this year.
Liverpool’s record signing was prolific in Europe, with six goals in nine games, and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s replacement had five assists in 10 appearances.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Frimpong spoke highly of Wirtz, saying: “He doesn’t crumble under pressure; he likes pressure. He’s a guy that makes you enjoy football with the way he plays.”
Wirtz was honoured as the Bundesliga’s player of the season in 2023/2024, when he also won the German Cup.
How have Leverkusen players fared when they switched to the Premier League?
Wirtz and Frimpong aren’t the only notable stars who have gone from Leverkusen to England.
One of the first big names to depart the German team was Dimitar Berbatov in 2006, when he joined Tottenham for nearly £11m.
The Bulgarian forward enjoyed a long tenure in the Premier League, later playing for Manchester United, with 134 goal involvements in 229 appearances.
André Schürrle joined Chelsea for £18m in 2013, but he never reached his full potential in the English top flight.
Liverpool bought Emre Can for £9.75m a year later, making 150 appearances for the Reds and scoring a memorable goal against Watford.
Kai Havertz is still proving his expensive price tag since leaving for Chelsea in 2020 for £71m and then Arsenal three years on for a similar fee.
Heung-Min Song is Leverkusen’s best star in Premier League history, with an impressive 127 goals and 71 assists to his name.
Wirtz and will hope to smash Son’s goal record in England, and Frimpong has big boots to fill following Alexander-Arnold’s departure.
Sign up for the Liverpool News WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking Liverpool news sent straight to your phone.