Liverpool are in the process of rebuilding their centre-back options after following up on the signing of Giovanni Leoni with a move to buy Jeremy Jacquet.
The Reds look set for a total overhaul at the end of the season as Ibrahima Konate leaves on a free transfer.
Joe Gomez may also depart and with Virgil van Dijk’s deal running for another 18 months only, Leoni and Jacquet represent the long-term future of Liverpool. But the Reds cannot finish there.
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Liverpool's 2026/27 predicted XI - GRV Media line-up
Liverpool’s 2026/27 predicted XI – GRV Media line-up
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They may make a new, more experienced signing if Gomez does leave this summer and will certainly have to by the time his contract expires alongside Van Dijk’s in 2027.
And, as it turns out, Liverpool look like they’ve already put plans in place for the end of next season, with Jarell Quansah‘s Bayer Leverkusen buy-back clause kicking in.
Jarell Quansah can complete Liverpool overhaul
When they sold him to Leverkusen last year, Liverpool stuck a £52m buy-back clause in Quansah’s contract, valid from the summer of 2027.
The Reds are even said to have agreed on the England international’s future salary if he is to return to Anfield two years after leaving.
Jarell Quansah celebrates after scoring for Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga against Hoffenheim
Photo by Rene Nijhuis/MB Media/Getty Images
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This is not common practice from Liverpool and suggests a very clear plan to bring Quansah back home once he’s got some first-team football under his belt in Germany.
He has dipped off a little after a good start with Leverkusen, but alongside Jacquet, Leoni and the emerging talents of Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Mor Talla Ndiaye, Quansah is a good bet to form the next generation of Liverpool defenders.
The one wrinkle here could be if he does not properly fulfil his potential while with Leverkusen. If things take a downturn over the next 18 months, Liverpool may not see value in paying more than £50m to sign him. But, all being well, we think this is where things are headed.
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Giovanni Leoni poses at the AXA Training Centre after signing for Liverpool (Credit: Getty Images/Nikki Dyer - LFC).
Jeremy Jacquet celebrates after scoring for France U19 in the European Championship against Northern Ireland (Credit: Getty Images/Ramsey Cardy - Sportsfile/UEFA).
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Nikki Dyer/LFC/Ramsey Cardy – Sportsfile/UEFA
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Quansah and Jeremy Jacquet could form new partnership
Next season, the expectation appears to be that Jacquet comes in to replace Konate and play regularly alongside Van Dijk.
On the back of a serious knee injury, Leoni may have to be more patient as he waits for meaningful minutes.
If Quansah does come back in 2027 – and Van Dijk leaves – it would be likely that the Liverpool academy graduate would be arriving as the most senior in a defensive pair with Jacquet.
With Leoni pushing the pair of them and a couple of youngsters coming through from beneath, Liverpool are well-placed to move on from the generation-defining brilliance of Van Dijk.
Although they have received some well-warranted criticism for their lack of proactivity in the centre-back market over the last near-decade, Liverpool look to have a plan coming together here and it feels like a very good one.
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