3 Liverpool opponents in the shop window today

We’ve got a great schedule of UEFA Champions League games on Tuesday, and you really can’t go wrong with any of them. Ted’s got bets up for them on the premium newsletter. I’m sure a lot of eyes are going to be on soon-to-be Manchester United manager Rúben Amorim, who leads his current employers Sporting Lisbon against his future local rivals, Manchester City.

But I’m most interested in the matchup between Bayer Leverkusen and Liverpool. Both because I think it’s likely to be an extremely competitive game, and because it’s extremely relevant to our content as a newsletter and podcast that most often looks at football through the lens of the transfer market.

Apologies to any Bayer fans who are reading, but the vikings are at your shores, ready to raid for all the best pieces. Xabi Alonso would instantly become the favorite for either the Man City or Real Madrid job if either were to come available this summer, and that would likely lead to several players asking the club very nicely to consider any incoming transfer bids.

A Champions League showdown with Liverpool is going to be extremely relevant tape for any parties interested in Bayer Leverkusen’s players. Here are 3 that I think are particularly interesting.

Jeremie Frimpong, right wingback

A unique player with a unique bat signal radar. Frimpong’s style of play is very specific to the demands of Alonso’s 3-4-3 system that is ambitious going forward in possession, but doesn’t press aggressively. Dribble and cross machine go brrrrrr.

Frimpong is also a unique goal threat for a wingback — he has 18 Bundesliga goals since the start of the 2022-23 season.

He’s a dramatically different profile than existing Manchester United right backs Diego Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui, and might make a great fit for Amorim’s system, as Patrick pointed out.

Frimpong might have a very limited market due to his specificity, but it’s also possible that a team that doesn’t play a back 3 system with aggressive wingbacks sees something else in him that the numbers aren’t showing at the moment, and he could fit in elsewhere.

Victor Boniface, striker

Boniface was excellent in his first season after moving from Union SG in Belgium, and he’s taking an even bigger leap forward as he settles into life in the Bundesliga. He’s 6’3”, uses that size well in the air, he’s quick, and his off the ball movement seems to have improved a little bit every time I watch him.

This is a very nice looking shot chart. He’s getting good opportunities from through balls, headers, and passes into feet, taking most of his shots from central locations in the box, and finishing from a variety of shot types and angles.

Boniface is currently top of the Bundesliga for non-penalty xG per 90 minutes, even ahead of Harry Kane (3rd is Hugo Ekitike, read about him here). But Bundesliga success has not always translated well to the Premier League for strikers, and scouts will want to see if he can replicate his success against Liverpool’s defense.

Florian Wirtz, left attacking midfielder

And now, the big one. The guy Bayer will probably fight like heck to hold on to, or demand €100m for. He and Real Madrid are rumoured to have mutual interest, and it’s pretty easy to see why. He does everything you’d want from an attacking midfielder at an extremely high level.

How is Real Madrid going to fit another cut inside, right-footed left winger into its team? I have absolutely no idea. I think that they should probably not attempt to do such a thing. But a team with Vinicius Jr. and Kylian Mbappe even taking time to speak to Wirtz tells you how talented he is.

If Bayern Munich or any English teams feel like trying to gazump Madrid, the question they’ll have to ask is whether Wirtz is more of a left winger or central attacking midfielder in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 system. He’s a good enough footballer to make either work, but his next club is unlikely to use the specific role he operates in right now.

Bonus: Xabi Alonso, manager

Winning a German double and going on to perform well in Champions League with a team of Bayer Leverkusen’s limited financial muscle is the kind of thing that would put any coach on the radar of rich superclubs. But Xabi Alonso is a unique manager utilizing a system that won’t be plug-and-play for most clubs.

They’re excellent at defending deep in shape, and don’t really care if opponents pass the ball around in their own half. This stands in pretty stark contrast to Amorim, who utilizes the same shape, but has a completely different defensive philosophy.

It’s rare to see an elite team with ultra-low PPDA, and hiring Alonso would likely represent a pretty big philosophical shift for most big clubs.

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