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Jarell Quansah: Why 2026/27 is an audition for £52m Liverpool return

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - Tuesday, November 25, 2025: Bayer Leverkusen's Jarell Quansah after the UEFA Champions League match between Manchester City FC and Bayer 04 Leverkusen FC at the City of Manchester Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Jarell Quansah made the tough decision to move away from Liverpool, but it has paid off and put him in contention to return to Anfield in a strong position.

The Reds’ academy graduate left his boyhood club last summer for £30 million, making the bold decision to join Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga.

It was a decision that paid off for the 23-year-old after playing 44 games – 40 from the start – and earning a call-up to England’s World Cup squad.

“I just knew it was the best thing that I needed for my career, to be playing week in, week out,” Quansah explained this summer, a year on from his Anfield exit.

But with Liverpool retaining a buyback for the defender, which drops next summer, this upcoming campaign will prove defining for his career trajectory and the Reds’ defensive future.

Liverpool held off on triggering Quansah’s return

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - Tuesday, November 25, 2025: Bayer Leverkusen's Jarell Quansah during the UEFA Champions League match between Manchester City FC and Bayer 04 Leverkusen FC at the City of Manchester Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

As part of his move last summer, Liverpool agreed a buy-back clause which could have seen Quansah rejoin this summer for €80 million (£69.3m), or for €60 million (£52m) in 2027.

Despite the blatantly obvious need for a defender who could play at centre-back and right-back, which Quansah is more than capable of, Liverpool resisted and instead pursued Ronald Araujo.

The temporary nature of the Uruguayan’s arrival suggests Quansah could at least be in the club’s thinking for 2027 after another full year of Bundesliga and Europa League action.

Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni, of course, represent the next iteration of the Reds’ defence, but with Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk out of contract next summer, Liverpool need more.

“I’ve started loving football again, being able to play week in, week out against some of the best teams in the world, showing what I’m capable of, what I can give to this team and to the fans as well.”

Jarell Quansah

Speaking after his first season with Bayer Leverkusen

BILD‘s reliable Leverkusen source Axel Hesse expects the England international to join Liverpool next year as a “key player, not as a squad player,” but that makes his 2026/27 season pivotal.

He will have a second full campaign to gain experience and continue maturing into a centre-back capable of playing every few days, with the added weight of expectation on his young shoulders.

Liverpool resisted going back for the academy graduate this summer, but there is little doubt they will be keeping a very close eye on how he develops.

What Liverpool need to see from Jarell Quansah

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, May 25, 2025: Liverpool's Jarell Quansah with the trophy, as the team celebrate becoming Champions for the 20th time, after the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Crystal Palace FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

If Quansah were to return to Anfield next year and neither Gomez nor Van Dijk extended their deals, he would arrive as the most senior centre-back at 24 and with close to 150 club appearances.

Liverpool would need to see that he could command the backline, proving he can manage his teammates and operate with a clear mind when the pressure rises.

With Andoni Iraola favouring defenders who are aggressive and comfortable distributing the ball from the back, he needs to show those traits while fitting Leverkusen’s current system.

As per FotMob, in the Bundesliga last season, Quansah ranked in the top 30 percent for shots compared to players in his position (0.7 per 90), and the top 25 percent for chances created (0.43 per 90).

LONDON, ENGLAND - Sunday, February 25, 2024: Liverpool's Conor Bradley, Jarell Quansah, Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo and Joe Gomez celebrate after the Football League Cup Final match between Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC at Wembley Stadium. Liverpool won 1-0 after extra-time. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

He showed a tendency to be on the front foot, ranking in the top 21 percent for possession won in the final third, and the top eight percent for successful dribbles (0.55 per 90).

The 23-year-old also operated with a passing accuracy of 90.3 percent in his debut season in Germany, the 15th-best record in the topflight.

Aerially, however, he is still a work in progress after ranking 49th in the Bundesliga for aerial duels won (61), resulting in a success rate of only 60.3 percent.

For comparison, Van Dijk averaged 74.4 percent and Ibrahima Konate 71.3 percent across the 2025/26 Premier League campaign.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - Tuesday, November 25, 2025: Bayer Leverkusen's Jarell Quansah applauds the travelling supporters during the UEFA Champions League match between Manchester City FC and Bayer 04 Leverkusen FC at the City of Manchester Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

With set-pieces remaining a key focus and avenue to goal for clubs across the continent, Quansah will be expected to have further exposure to improve.

Ultimately, this season will help the Reds identify whether he has an elite ceiling capable of helping lead the club’s defence, or simply a very good Bundesliga or squad player.

Quansah might not see the campaign as an audition, but it is shaping up to be just that.

A win-win for Liverpool’s 2027 transfer plans

Whether Liverpool trigger Quansah’s clause or not next summer, their buy-back ensures they can retain control over the short-term future of the homegrown talent.

Although he was sold for £30 million and will potentially be re-signed for £52 million, a loss on paper, the modern market would set his price tag closer to the £70 million mark.

With personal terms reportedly agreed before he even left Anfield, Quansah would be a low-risk signing who knows what it means to represent the club and what it takes to succeed.

While centre-back is his favoured position, with Jacquet and Leoni not offering the same positional flexibility, Quansah’s unique skillset will also have value for Iraola.

Liverpool have started shaping their defensive succession plan with Jacquet and Leoni, but how the duo and Quansah perform will determine if the buyback is a necessity.

The Reds did not sell Quansah because they doubted his talent; they sanctioned his exit to fulfil his desire to play more regularly and grow into the defender they could later rely on.

If the 23-year-old shows aerial improvements in Germany, the £52 million buy-back will be the most logical move to reinforce a position that has consistently been neglected.

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Football – Pre-Season – Liverpool FC v Leeds United FC

CHICAGO, USA - Sunday, August 2, 2026: Liverpool's Jeremy Jacquet waves to supporters before a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Leeds United at Soldier Field. Leeds won 4-2. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

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