Liverpool make move to beat Arsenal and Chelsea for Jarell Quansah

Liverpool must plug a defensive void as veteran Virgil Van Dijk nears the end of his contract and a wave of departures has left the back line thin, prompting the club to beat Arsenal and Chelsea in the race for former academy star Jarell Quansah.

The Reds have seen a host of key players leave in recent years. Trent Alexander‑Arnold joined Real Madrid in 2025, Ibrahima Konaté followed a year later, Curtis Jones moved to Inter Milan, Andy Robertson signed for Tottenham, Luis Diaz transferred to Bayern Munich, Darwin Núñez headed to Saudi Arabia and Caoimhin Kelleher now starts for Brentford. The departures have left the squad weaker and thinner than in many seasons.

Defensive recruitment under pressure

Andoni Iraola, Liverpool’s Spanish manager, is now targeting a new central midfielder, fresh defenders and possibly a forward for the 2027 window. A priority is to secure a centre‑back who can also cover right‑back, a role vacated by the ageing Van Dijk.

Buy‑back clause and rival interest

It has emerged that Liverpool have activated a buy‑back clause to re‑sign former defender Jarell Quansah, who left for Bayer Leverkusen in 2025. The clause allows the club to pay €70 million (£59.2 million) before 15 June 2027, a price that does not require negotiation. Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg reported that Chelsea, Arsenal and even Real Madrid are monitoring the 23‑year‑old, but Liverpool hold the advantage.

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Quansah, a product of Liverpool’s academy, became a regular in the Bundesliga after his move to Leverkusen and has earned caps in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad. Former teammate Virgil Van Dijk praised him, saying, “Every challenge that was thrown his way, he dealt with outstandingly. The sky is the limit for him.”

After deciding late that he wanted a career in sports journalism, Daniel worked his way up the ladder in an unconventional manner. Andoni Iraola via Reuters and Jason Cairnduff noted that Daniel had opted against university, contributing to Sky Sports as a freelance translator during transfer windows while volunteering on several blog pages. He later joined Barnet FC’s social media team before launching his own website covering football and MMA, eventually moving to 90min, Reach PLC titles and Breaking Media, before becoming Premier League editor at GiveMeSport.

Liverpool already have young defender Jeremy Jacquet on their books, but with Van Dijk set to leave on a free transfer, the club must plan for the future. Securing Quansah would solve a major problem in a problem position and provide a player familiar with Anfield’s culture. The fixed buy‑back fee means the Reds can act quickly before rival clubs finalise their bids.

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Julian Ward could also be considering signing another striker to complement the defensive overhaul, indicating a broader squad rebuild ahead of the 2027 season.