With Jonathan Tah’s departure to Bayern Munich after being a key part of Leverkusen’s unbeaten Bundesliga-winning squad, the German club is now searching for defensive reinforcements. According to Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool’s Jarell Quansah is among the names on Ten Hag’s shortlist, alongside Loïc Badé. Notably, any deal involving Quansah is said to be independent of ongoing discussions around Florian Wirtz.
The 22-year-old Quansah, a product of Liverpool’s academy, made his senior debut in August 2023 and featured in both of the club’s recent EFL Cup triumphs under Jürgen Klopp. Last season, he made 13 Premier League appearances during their title-winning campaign and has demonstrated versatility by covering both central defense and fullback roles—a key asset especially after Jeremie Frimpong’s move to Liverpool.
Quansah also gained crucial Champions League experience, starting twice and playing in four matches during the league phase. As Ten Hag looks to shift tactics away from Xabi Alonso’s three-man defense, Quansah’s profile fits both immediate and long-term plans. However, the young England U21 international might be seen more as a prospect for the future to ease pressure in his early days at the club.
Selling Quansah would leave Liverpool thin at the back. Their current central defenders include Van Dijk, Joe Gomez, and Konaté, while the fullback positions are covered by Andy Robertson, Kostas Tsimikas, Conor Bradley, and the newly-signed Frimpong—who’s expected to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Although Liverpool are reportedly interested in Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez as a left-back option, they may decline Leverkusen’s pursuit of Quansah simply due to a lack of defensive depth. Midfielder Wataru Endō did cover at center-back in a few domestic cup games last season, but isn’t considered a dependable option in that role—especially with Arne Slot aiming to compete across all competitions once again.
