Liverpool have a ready-made solution to their centre-back concerns in the form of Jarell Quansah
Liverpool have had issues with their centre-backs for well over a year now, as they build for the future. Ibrahima Konate walking out the door on a free seems like a blow, from a squad standpoint, or from selling him.
Luckily, the Reds already wrapped up a £60 million deal for Jeremy Jacquet in January, who will join this summer.
Looking ahead, there are still some issues with their planning, which stretches back to last summer. The Reds’ failure to reach an agreement with Crystal Palace over Marc Guehi had a damaging blow. Giovanni Leoni will return to preseason training after suffering an ACL injury back in September. However, Joe Gomez has constantly been sidelined, and Virgil Van Dijk turns 35 in July.
A central defender will certainly be high on their agenda either this summer or the next. Two new faces will be required to shore up their defence, and it seems the Merseyside outfit have one man lined up. That comes in the shape of a former Reds player.
Jarell Quansah possible Liverpool return
As the Arne Slot reign began away at Ipswich Town, the Dutchman opted for Jarell Quansah and Van Dijk. It came as a surprise, especially with how well Konate had done under former boss Jurgen Klopp. By half-time, at Portman Road, the academy graduate was subbed off in favour of the Frenchman. This was essentially the end for Quansah for his time as the first-choice defender in the Liverpool squad.
In the season they won the Premier League title, he played just three full 90 minutes in the league, though two of them came after the title was wrapped up. The only full match came away in a 3-3 draw with Newcastle, where he featured as a right back, a role unfamiliar to the Englishman.
It was clear that the Dutch head coach didn’t view him as an ideal squad member, so he was sold to Bayer Leverkusen. The former Bundesliga champions got hold of the Reds defender for £35 million. However, in the deal, the Anfield outfit have a buy-back clause of £52 million ahead of next summer. The Liverpool Echo reports that a contract has already been agreed upon should he return to Merseyside.
Quansah has enjoyed a relatively successful campaign at Leverkusen, becoming a regular at the heart of their backline. They finished just three points outside of the Champions League places, after a tough start to the campaign. His displays have impressed England boss Thomas Tuchel, as he’s been called up to the World Cup.
His time towards the end at Liverpool was tough, though the additional gametime has worked in his favour. As Richard Hughes begins to set plans for the future, the 23-year-old becomes an immediate target next summer.
Liverpool future defence
Allowing Konate to walk away seems like a brave decision; therefore, there is a lot of belief in Jacquet. The Frenchman had plenty of Premier League interest before signing for the Reds in the winter window. At this current stage, it seems like on the opening day of the season, he will partner the Liverpool captain. Leoni also showed promising signs on his debut in the Carabao Cup against Southampton before his injury.
Another will certainly be on the way, whether Quansah joins or not next summer, as they can’t afford three first-team defenders. Nico Schlotterbeck has been mentioned in the past, though Real Madrid are reportably making him a target. In house solutions come from Mor Talla Ndiaye who moved to Merseyside a few months ago from Senegal at just 18.
Quansah becomes a clear transfer, and with the fee already set in place, there is less work for the club to work around. £52 million in today’s market can’t buy a lot, though if the 23-year-old continues his development, his sights could certainly be cast on a Liverpool return.
