Liverpool boss Arne Slot. (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)placeholder image
Liverpool boss Arne Slot. (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images
Liverpool didn’t do much wrong in the transfer window, however, selling Jarrell Quansah is looking like a mistake.
Liverpool looked to have emerged from the transfer window in good condition having signed some of Europe’s most promising but established players.
Of those who left, Luis Diaz has been a big miss and his start to life at Bayern Munich only rubs salt further into the wounds. Given his contract situation and the money on offer though, it was the right decision to sell the Colombia international.
Jarrell Quansah impresses on England debut
One decision that is already looking like a mistake is selling Jarrell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen. Liverpool have an option to buy the England international back and it may be one that Richard Hughes takes up if his current rise to prominence continues. Not only has the 22-year old looked good in the Bundesliga, but he strolled his full England debut against Albania.
The international break has seen Ibrahima Konate hint about his future and, reading between the lines, it doesn’t look like it will be at Anfield with speculation suggesting that Real Madrid is his most likely destination. Quansah played at right-back for England and finished with a 96% pass success rate, he was also busy defensively with; one tackle, two clearances, one headed clearance, two interceptions, three recoveries and he won all of his headers, scoring a 7.7 rating on FotMob.
With Arne Slot struggling to find the right answers in defence, Quansah could have been a reliable option either in the middle alongside Virgil van Dijk or at right-back. At full-back he would have provided extra physicality and height at set-pieces where Liverpool have been particular weak this season.
What Jarrell Quansah said about making the move to Germany
It was Jurgen Klopp who gave Quansah his Liverpool debut and he also gave him advice about moving to Germany. Talking to Sport Bild about what the coach told him ahead of his first senior appearance, he said: "I remember him coming up to me just before I came on and saying: "You're ready!" Hearing that from this legend in that moment was very comforting and gave me a lot of confidence.
“I was very happy he gave me that chance. We were 1-0 down and still won 2-1. Making my debut there was challenging. You can also lean on him sometimes. At the end of his last season, we talked together about what my future might look like. After that, I knew what I wanted."
Selling Quansah specifically wasn’t a problem, the problem was not signing Marc Guehi before he was allowed to leave. Giovanni Leoni arrived but the Italian was always going to be a project signing and a player who would be gradually introduced. Without Konate committing to a new contract or another senior centre-half being signed, letting Quansah go was always going to be risky.
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