Official: Leverkusen ink Jeremie Frimpong through 2025
Bayer 04 Leverkusen confirmed the acquisition of Celtic right-back Jeremie Frimpong late Wednesday evening.
As reported earlier, Germany's Werkself have finalized an expensive transfer for Dutch fullback Jeremie Frimpong. The club officially introduced its second new Dutch right-back of the January transfer window on Wednesday evening.
"In Jeremie, we've recruited a player with incredibly high developmental potential," sporting director Simon Rolfes said in statements to the press, "he's technically strong, extraordinarily fast, and exhibits a pronounced forward offensive drive."
"With the signing of Jeremie Frimpong, we've completed a transfer very much in the spirit of Bayer 04," added sporting CEO Rudi Völler, "[he's] young, savvy, football-savvy, agile, and has a lively style of play. A player of such a style fits the way we want to operate on the pitch."
Frimpong himself issued a statement saying that he was "thoroughly excited" about a move to the Bundesliga. The 20-year-old noted that he was thrilled to join a club with a proven track record of attaining the European club competitions and even noted that he been impressed watching Leverkusen defeat city rivals Glasgow Rangers at Ibrox stadium last spring.
Earlier reports on the financial nature of the deal appear to have been corrected. Bayer paid an €11 million transfer fee, which may increase to €13.5 million with performance incentives. The Dutchman's contract runs through 2025. Frimpong's developmental club Manchester City also cashes in with a 30 percent stake in the deal.
Current corona regulations in the Nordrhein-westfallen require Frimpong to quarantine through the weekend. He will thus not be available for the round 19 fixture against Leipzig.