Liverpool have been linked with several Bayer Leverkusen players in recent months, and with Arne Slot's Reds set to host Xabi Alonso's side at Anfield on Tuesday evening, fans may get a closer look at players such as Jeremie Frimpong.
Slot has seamlessly fit in Anfield, winning 12 of his first 14 games in charge of the Merseysiders, and the club are first in the Premier League and second in the Champions League table.
Leverkusen boss Alonso will return to Anfield tonight for the first time as a manager, and it will be the first time he has faced Slot.
Alonso led his team to an unbeaten domestic double last term, winning the DFB-Pokal and the German top-flight title, helping Die Schwarzroten become the first ever club to win the Bundesliga without defeat.
This achievement has led to increased interest in many of Leverkusen's star players, with the likes of Florian Wirtz linked to Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Liverpool have also been credited with interest in a number of the German club's standout performers, especially in light of the fact that Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah are all out of contract at the end of this season.
Here, Sports Mole looks at five Bayer Leverkusen players that Liverpool fans should keep an eye on ahead of their clash against the German side on Tuesday evening.
Florian Wirtz
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Florian Wirtz is arguably one of Europe's most coveted attacking players, with the German proving this campaign that his outstanding 2023-24 season was no fluke.
Last term, the attacker managed to score 18 times and produce 19 assists across all competitions, and this season he has already scored seven times and registered two assists.
The German's reported price tag of €90m-€100m (£75.5m-£83.9m) could be somewhat prohibitive, especially given the Reds already have options in his position such as Dominik Szoboszlai, but Wirtz's explosive playstyle in the final third would certainly boost the Reds' attack.
Victor Boniface
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Other than Wirtz, Victor Boniface is perhaps the most important attacking player at Alonso's disposal, with his ability to either stretch the pitch or hold the ball up against opposition defenders key to Leverkusen's offensive play.
The striker scored 21 goals and accumulated 10 assists last term, including 14 goals and eight assists in just 23 Bundesliga appearances, and his phenomenal season was perhaps overshadowed by the likes of Harry Kane.
Boniface has netted eight times and produced one assist for Leverkusen in 13 games so far this term, and despite his side's struggles in other areas of the pitch, he has continued to thrive.
Jeremie Frimpong
![Jeremie Frimpong with the ball for Bayer Leverkusen against Borussia Monchengladbach on August 23, 2024 [on August 26, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/35/jeremie-frimpong.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Jeremie Frimpong with the ball for Bayer Leverkusen against Borussia Monchengladbach on August 23, 2024 [on August 26, 2024]")
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Jeremie Frimpong could potentially become a serious option for Liverpool in the near future should Alexander-Arnold depart the club for free in the summer.
Frimpong proved to be one of Europe's most productive wing-backs in 2023-24 considering he provided 14 goals and 10 assists in all competitions for Leverkusen, and his productivity could alleviate the potential loss of Alexander-Arnold, who is regarded as arguably the world's finest offensive full-back.
There are question marks about whether Frimpong could adapt to playing in a back four as opposed to the back five he currently plays in for Alonso, but the Dutchman's quality is undeniable.
Piero Hincapie
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With Andrew Robertson's performances coming under increasing scrutiny, Piero Hincapie could become an option for the Reds as a hybrid defender, one who can play as a left-back without the ball and as a centre-back with the ball.
In recent seasons, the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City have utilised traditional centre-backs as full-backs to provide extra defensive security, and this is a role that the Ecuadorian could excel in for Slot's Reds.
The centre-back may also be an option to provide cover for the ageing Van Dijk, who will be 34 years old in the summer of 2025.
Alex Grimaldo
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If Liverpool were to opt for a more traditional left-back to replace Robertson in the near future, then Leverkusen's Alex Grimaldo could certainly become an option.
The wing-back featured 51 times for his club in 2023-24 and registered 12 goals and 20 assists in all competitions, numbers that would lessen the impact of losing the creative abilities of Alexander-Arnold on the opposite side of defence should the Spaniard swap Germany for Merseyside.
However, the 28-year-old's age would be an obstacle for Liverpool considering they have tended to focus on signing younger talents with room for growth.
Sports Mole editor Barney Corkhill spoke with Liverpool expert David Lynch to discuss Liverpool's upcoming match against Bayer Leverkusen, as well as whom the Reds may hold an interest in signing from the German club.
Press play on the video at the top of this article to hear the full discussion.
Lewis Nolan
