'Deserves the world' - Nathan Tella not surprised Liverpool went for ex-Bayer Leverkusen teammate

Bayer Leverkusen winger Nathan Tella has heaped praise on former teammate Jeremie Frimpong following the Dutchman's high-profile move to Liverpool, insisting it comes as 'no surprise' that one of Europe's biggest clubs came calling.

Frimpong, 24, joined Liverpool in a €35 million deal earlier this summer, signing a five-year contract with the Premier League champions.

The Netherlands international is widely seen as Liverpool’s long-term replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who departed for Real Madrid at the end of last season.

Frimpong played a key role in Leverkusen's remarkable 2023-24 campaign, helping the club lift its first-ever Bundesliga title by contributing eighteen goals in 31 league matches.

Tella expressed full confidence in his former teammate's ability to thrive in England's top flight.

"Jeremie (Frimpong) has had many outstanding seasons at Leverkusen, and it was no surprise that a team as big as Liverpool were interested in him," Tella said to Flashscore.com.

"He is one of those footballers who deserves the world because he's done so much for the team (Bayer Leverkusen) to help us, and he's done so much for himself as a player."

Tella, who arrived at Leverkusen from Southampton in 2023, hailed Frimpong as a consummate professional and backed his wealth of experience at club and international level to ensure a smooth transition to Premier League football.

"If you're good enough, you can play anywhere, and he's shown it's not just that he only plays in Germany, he's played international level, he's played Champions League, and he's done well.

"I wouldn't say there'll be any surprise for anyone to see how good he is there. Definitely, there should be no surprise to see how well he goes."

Although born in Amsterdam, Frimpong is classified as a homegrown player by the English Football Association, having spent the formative years of his career at Manchester City.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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