
Pep Guardiola has reportedly urged Manchester City to pursue former Liverpool defender Sepp van den Berg and Bayer Leverkusen standout Jeremie Frimpong, indicating his intent to remain as manager beyond this season. Guardiola’s current contract ends this summer, but his transfer requests suggest he’s already planning for the future.
Guardiola first noticed Van den Berg in a 2021 pre-season match when the Dutch center-back, then on loan from Liverpool to Preston North End, impressed while playing as a right-back. Since then, Van den Berg has remained on Guardiola’s radar, and City even inquired about his availability during the last transfer window. However, his Liverpool ties made a transfer to City improbable. The 22-year-old eventually joined Brentford for ÂŁ25 million, and while they intend to retain him for the season, his move away from Liverpool could pave the way for a City transfer next summer.
Guardiola is eyeing a potential double Dutch signing with Van den Berg and Frimpong, who also has roots in City’s academy. Frimpong left City for Celtic in 2019 and has since become an instrumental figure at Leverkusen, contributing 14 goals and 12 assists in a remarkable 2023-24 season that saw the club secure a domestic double and reach the Europa League final.
Despite Leverkusen’s less dominant performance this season, Frimpong has managed to tally a goal and six assists in 16 games, attracting strong interest from City as they look for a long-term successor to Kyle Walker, who is now 34. Guardiola has a positive rapport with Frimpong, which he hopes to leverage in a summer move.
However, City will likely face competition for the 23-year-old wing-back, whose future might be influenced by Liverpool’s star Trent Alexander-Arnold. Liverpool are considering Frimpong as a potential Alexander-Arnold replacement should the England international head to Real Madrid. If Madrid do not secure Alexander-Arnold, they may shift their focus to Frimpong, having already earmarked him as a backup option.
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