Man United ‘to battle with Man City and Liverpool’ for one of Europe’s most exciting players as release clause revealed

One of the Bundesliga’s most exciting young stars is on the transfer radar of three Premier League giants with Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City all having sets their sights on him.

Over the summer transfer window, United were the most active of the three clubs and made five permanent additions to Erik ten Hag’s squad.

Striker Joshua Zirkzee signed from Italian outfit Bologna, while defender Leny Yoro was recruited from Lille, though the Frenchman is yet to make his competitive United debut due to injury.

Defensive duo Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui were signed from Bayern Munich, while midfielder Manuel Ugarte joined the Old Trafford club on transfer deadline day from Paris Saint-Germain.

City and Liverpool had much quieter summer transfer windows in terms of incomings to their squads.

Pep Guardiola’s side landed Savinho from French outfit Troyes, while former midfielder Ilkay Gundogan rejoined City from Barcelona, only a year after he had departed the Etihad Stadium for the Camp Nou.

Liverpool under new boss Arne Slot only made one addition to the squad put together by departed manager Jurgen Klopp with the signing of attacker Federico Chiesa from Italian side Juventus having failed to prise Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad.

Though the transfer window is now closed until January, clubs are working behind the scenes on making new additions in the future and will cast their eye far and wide for potential signings.

Bayer Leverkusen made history last season under Xabi Alonso as they won the Bundesliga title for the first time in the club’s history, going unbeaten in the process with 28 wins and six draws.

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In that campaign, which also saw Leverkusen claim the German Cup, right wing-back Jeremie Frimpong was one of its stars, netting 14 goals and providing a dozen assists across 47 appearances in all competitions.

Football Insider now reports that both United and City have turned their attentions to signing Frimpong.

Frimpong is also reported to be on Liverpool’s radar owing to his versatility, which would open up the prospect of Trent Alexander-Arnold playing in midfield more regularly, though Conor Bradley’s emergence at Anfield has reduced the pressing need to sign the Leverkusen man.

The Dutchman came through the youth team ranks at City, before joining Celtic in 2019, and subsequently signed for Leverkusen in January 2021.

The 23-year-old signed a contract extension at the German club last year which runs until the summer of 2028 and there was a release clause of £35 million in the recent transfer window, but this was not activated, and any transfer deal would see Celtic bank 30 per cent of any profit made on Frimpong after a clause was included in the deal which took him to the Bundesliga.