On Saturday afternoon, Bayer Leverkusen saw the first ever Bundesliga title all but guaranteed as they came from behind yet again to beat Hoffenheim 2-1 at the BayArena.
As well as this, in Der Klassiker, Bayern Munich stumbled to a 2-0 home defeat, allowing Borussia Dortmund to claim their first win at the Allianz Arena in nine years, while simultaneously seeing Die Werkself’s lead at the top of the table extend to 13 points.
This led to head coach Thomas Tuchel admitting that, for Bayern, the title race is over. Nevertheless, Der Rekordmeister are now beginning to prepare ahead of next season as they look to regain their status as the best side in Germany, and a key part of their plan is to take Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong.
It had previously been reported that the record champions were planning a double swoop for the Dutchman and Xabi Alonso, but the latter has since committed his future to Leverkusen. However, as for Frimpong, in an interview with Sky Germany, the 23-year-old left his future far more open:
“I just want to win a title. I’m concentrating on this season because I feel like we can do something big in Leverkusen. My full focus is on Leverkusen. But you never know what will happen in football in the future. There is always something going on in football. But right now, I am fully concentrating on Leverkusen.”
“Bayern Munich is a great team, but Leverkusen is the only thing that counts for me at the moment. I’m a Leverkusen player, and I’m so happy that I’m there.”
Frimpong’s current deal would see him remain at the BayArena until 2028, but there is a release clause in his contract that becomes active this summer. It is understood that, depending on Leverkusen’s success, the fullback can depart for a fee of between €40 million and €45 million.
Nonetheless, a move to Bayern remains dependent on who will replace Tuchel. Due to Frimpong’s attacking nature, it is not yet certain whether he could perform consistently in a more conservative back four, leaving his future, for now, open.
GGFN | Will Shopland
