Jarell Quansah’s move to Bayer Leverkusen has finally been sealed, with the Englishman making the switch earlier in the week.
The 22-year-old wasn’t given as much game time as he likely deserved last term, with Arne Slot preferring to use Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate at any chance he got.
And, while the Reds may have come away with the Premier League title, it’s led to players such as Quansah and Harvey Elliott looking for an exit as they deserve much more game time than they’ve received.
Jarell Quansah of Liverpool looks on during the Premier League match between Brighton and Hove Albion FC and Liverpool FC at Amex Stadium
Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
And, while most believe that the deal Liverpool struck with the Bundesliga outfit was a solid one, there’s something about it that has left Simon Jordan somewhat perplexed.
Simon Jordan left baffled by Liverpool adding a buy-back clause in the Jarell Quansah deal
Now that Quansah has exited, the Reds only have three senior centre-backs among their ranks, with Nat Phillips also being sent packing earlier in the summer.
Of course, Slot could end up using Wataru Endo as his fourth-choice centre-back next term, but with Konate’s future still up in the air and the injury history of Joe Gomez, it feels a bit risky.
And, although some fans may not have wanted to get rid of the young Englishman, it’s something that had to be done.
While live on talkSPORT, Jordan and Jim White were speaking about the deal when Jordan brought up a part of the transfer that left him somewhat baffled.
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“The rumours are that they’re looking at [Marc] Guehi,” he said.
“So he [Quansah] would have been even further down the pecking order if he was already in that situation himself.
“Liverpool don’t do bad business, one has to suggest they know what they’re doing, the player has gone and moved to a decent side.
“This buy-back thing of £60million, I don’t understand the purpose of that, but I imagine it’s quite a decent deal.”
Liverpool have covered themselves by including a buy-back clause
There’s no denying that Quansah is an exceptional talent.
The centre-back was one of Jurgen Klopp’s many star boys when he was the manager of the Anfield outfit, with the Englishman often getting selected as Van Dijk’s partner.
As mentioned, however, Slot chose against giving him much game time last season due to the form that the Dutchman and Konate put on display.
And, although he wasn’t chosen all that often by Slot, it doesn’t mean that he isn’t still a good player.
If Quansah meets his potential as he’s expected to do, the fact that the Reds have a buy-back clause could end up being key to their success.
Jarell Quansah of Liverpool applauds the fans following the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC at Stamford Bridge
Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
The Anfield outfit will have first dibs on the centre-back in 2027, and if he does fail to live up to expectations, then they’ve made a tidy profit on him.
Only time will tell what the future holds, but on paper, it feels like a solid piece of business.