Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman slams Man Utd transfer target Jeremie Frimpong and insists he 'can't defend'

Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman has slammed Manchester United transfer target Jeremie Frimpong for being unable to defend.

Bayer Leverkusen right-back Frimpong, 22, was strongly linked with a move to Old Trafford ahead of the January transfer window as a potential replacement for Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

United manager Erik ten Hag eventually opted to keep Wan-Bissaka at the club but the Red Devils continue to be linked with Frimpong and could make a move for him this summer.

According to Football Insider, Bayer Leverkusen will seek as much as £50m for Frimpong when the window opens.

However, it is also claimed that there is belief on United's side that a deal could be reached for as little as £30m.

Frimpong was named in Louis van Gaal's Netherlands squad for the World Cup in Qatar after impressing in the Bundesliga this season.

But Koeman, who replaced Van Gaal as Netherlands head coach in January, left the defender out of his squad for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against France and Gibraltar.

"No Frimpong? This is because of the system that we play in," Koeman said, when explaining his squad selection.

"He plays almost as a right winger. My right back should be able to defend well in the first place and I have my doubts about that."

While Koeman has concerns over Frimpong's defensive capabilities, he can have no such concerns over his attacking talents.

The former Manchester City youth team player has already scored seven goals and provided nine assists in all competitions this season.

Man Utd 'getting closer' to Frimpong deal

Earlier this month, Bild journalist Christian Falk claimed United were "getting closer" to signing Frimpong with the club expected to complete a deal for the full-back this summer.

"Jeremie Frimpong is getting closer and closer to a United move. Frimpong was also a topic in winter – United really wanted him then," Falk told CaughtOffside.

"You know, he's a Dutch player and his connection to Erik ten Hag is very close. There should have been talks.

"So, you see now that Ten Hag is performing well with his team and has good arguments for Frimpong and for United in terms of fulfilling his wish. I think he's one of Ten Hag's main targets for the summer."

Topics: Ronald Koeman, Netherlands, Manchester United, Transfers, Football

Rory O'Callaghan

Rory O'Callaghan is Editorial Lead at SPORTbible. He has previously worked for Sky Sports News, MailOnline and Reach covering football, cricket, boxing and MMA. Tested daily as a Liverpool fan in a Manchester office.

@rory_ocallaghan