Liverpool are not planning to sell centre-back Jarell Quansah this summer, according to a fresh update from reliable journalist James Pearce.
After a breakthrough 2023/24 season for the Reds, Quansah has found the current campaign trickier, starting with being substituted at half-time at Ipswich Town on the opening weekend.
The 22-year-old has had to accept playing second fiddle to Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, while Joe Gomez was also ahead of him in the pecking order.
Recent reports have suggested that Quansah could be a target for Newcastle United at the end of the season, but now a twist has emerged regarding his future on Merseyside.
According to The Athletic‘s Pearce, Liverpool are “planning for next season” with the Englishman “on board” at Anfield, being described as a “big part” of Arne Slot’s plans at Anfield.
Is Quansah worth persevering with for Liverpool?
While this season hasn’t always been the easiest for Quansah, he is still a young centre-back with so much potential, so it would be reckless for Liverpool to sell him so early in his career.
The England international is still learning his trade, so there are understandable flaws in his game, but he is still a key squad player, with Micah Richards heaping praise on him:
“When you’re going for the Premier League it’s all about moments. He’s had an impact. It was difficult, he started the season, he got subbed at halftime, Slot said he wasn’t aggressive enough but today he showed how vital he can be to this team.”
At 22, Quansah still has time on his side, but he will also know that he needs to go up a gear next season, in order to remain a genuinely reliable option for Slot.
Van Dijk isn’t getting any younger and hasn’t yet signed a new deal at Liverpool, while Konate and Gomez are known for their injury problems, so their younger teammate will be needed moving forward.
The addition of another centre-back is important at Anfield this summer, which will further increase the competition for places, so the next 12 months could be a defining period in Quansah’s Reds career.