Chelsea will reportedly face competition from Arsenal to sign the defender
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso is keen on signing an England international.
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso is keen on signing an England international.(Image: PA Wire)
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Xabi Alonso and Chelsea are reportedly leading the charge to sign England international Jarrell Quansah after Arsenal had a £55.5m bid rejected by Bayer Leverkusen this summer.
The player had reportedly agreed terms with the Gunners, but the Bundesliga club rejected their approach and Quansah was happy to accept their decision.
Premier League rivals Liverpool have a buyback option which is valid until next June 15th, with the Reds also keeping their options open in the event Virgil Van Dijk leaves Anfield.
Reports in Germany from SportBILD claim Chelsea, Arsenal, Real Madrid and Liverpool are keen on signing the England international.
The 23-year-old has impressed since his move to Leverkusen in the summer of 2025, joining them for a fee of £30m plus a further £5m in add-ons.
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The Reds have a £70m buy-back clause agreed for Quansah, though it remains to be seen if they'll try to bring the defender back to the club, having signed Jeremy Jacquet and Gieovanni Leoni, though the latter has been sidelined with a long-term injury.
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The report claims Alonso and Chelsea are leading the race to sign Quansah and have made contact about a possible transfer.
However, it's unclear whether that means the Blues have touched base with Alonso's former club, or whether that's the player's camp.
Jarell Quansah in action for Bayer Leverkusen.
Jarell Quansah in action for Bayer Leverkusen.(Image: Jan Fromme - firo sportphoto/Getty Images)
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Quansah's current contract with the German club expires in 2030, though his impressive performances have caught the eye of several of Europe's top clubs.
Real Madrid are hoping his close frienship with Jude Bellingham can tempt the versatile defender to join Los Blancos, and they've been scouting him ‘very closely.’
Speaking about his decision to leave Liverpool ahead of the World Cup, he said: "It was a really tough decision, to be honest, to walk away from my boyhood club – a club I’ve been at all my life,’ he told reporters ahead of the Three Lions’ World Cup campaign.
"But I just knew it was the best thing that I needed for my career, to be playing week in, week out. People who know me know I back myself no matter what and I feel like I’m capable of playing at the highest level and I wanted to show that this season."