As Liverpool pushed to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen in the blockbuster deal of the 2025 summer transfer window, there was plenty of chatter suggesting Leverkusen were themselves highly interested in a pair of Liverpool players.
With the Germans set to lose not just creative ten Wirtz to the Reds but also veteran centre half Jonathan Tah to Bayern Munich, Leverkusen were linked with both Harvey Elliott and Jarell Quansah. It appears, in the end, that they will at least get Quansah.
That’s the latest following widespread reports that the two clubs are close to reaching a full agreement regarding fee—said to be likely to tick above €40M (£34M) with add-ons—and that the player has agreed personal terms with the Bundesliga side.
It’s a significant fee, but then Quansah’s value to Liverpool as club trained was always going to be high and it’s worth remembering that a year ago there was a widespread belief that Quansah represented the future at centre half for the Reds.
While Quansah’s opportunities fell off under Arne Slot when the Dutch manager arrived to replace the departing Jürgen Klopp, the 22-year-old does appear to have all the tools to be a starting centre half for a top club if he continues his development.
He will get that at Leverkusen, which over the past 12 months had come to seem as though it might not end up being the case at Liverpool. The deal, when it is completed, is expected to be a permanent transfer without any buy-back option.