Ben Foster thinks Liverpool made a mistake selling Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen
Ben Foster doesn't think Liverpool should have sold Jarell Quansah
Ben Foster doesn't think Liverpool should have sold Jarell Quansah
(Image: YouTube/Fozcast - The Ben Foster Podcast)
Ben Foster thinks Liverpool could be making a mistake selling Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen. The centre-back has joined the Bundesliga outfit in a deal worth up to £35m, though the Reds retain a buyback clause as part of the transfer.
The 22-year-old endured a difficult campaign last time out under Arne Slot, despite Liverpool finishing the season as Premier League champions. Making 25 appearances in all competitions, he started just once in his favoured centre-back position in the English top-flight prior to the Reds winning the league.
Despite a mixed individual campaign, Quansah went on to play a starring role for England Under-21s as they won the European Championship last month.
And having been impressed by the defender throughout the tournament, former Manchester United goalkeeper Foster thinks Liverpool should have considered cancelling the transfer.
“In the final he was brilliant. Honestly, absolutely brilliant,” Foster said on his ‘Fozcast’. “Whenever he had any space in front of him, he would just exploit it.
“With the ball at his feet he is so happy, so comfortable and he is such a big lad as well. He would just run into the space in front of him which causes absolute mayhem for the opposition.
“At that point, someone from the midfield has to go into there which creates a gap behind them and it’s just carnage. Honestly, it’s horrible.
“He was fantastic in the game. I’m thinking, £35m? If I’m Liverpool I almost want to cancel it last second and go ‘you know what, I know you might not play every game this season, but you will definitely play a big chunk of this season for us’.
“I promise you, he will, he will play a massive part. Konate obviously will not play the whole season, but I think he can fill in incredibly well.
“I think he’s the future for Liverpool, well he would have been the future for Liverpool. Leverkusen will be buzzing to get him through the door.”
Meanwhile, Liverpool are admirers of Marc Guehi as they continue weigh up their centre-back options following Quansah’s departure.
While the Crystal Palace captain remains a market opportunity ahead of his contract expiring next summer, the Eagles would need to lower their asking-price for the Reds - who are instead currently prioritising unearthing a younger centre-back with high-potential - to make a move.
Responding to Quansah’s transfer fee, Foster thinks Guehi should cost £70m. And he theorised whether Liverpool sanctioned the defender’s departure to help finance part of their club-record deal to sign Florian Wirtz from Leverkusen.
“Got to be, £70m,” he said of Guehi. “But if he’s 21, 22 years old, you’ve got at least 10, 12 years to come from this kid (Quansah).
“Wirtz is costing £116m, it’s an awful lot of money. If you can chunk a big old £35m, it brings it down to about £80m-£90m. It’s kind of like, ‘Oh, yeah, actually…’”