Liverpool have a £52 million buy-back clause for quansah ahead of next summer, and a contract is already agreed if he returns to Merseyside. The move keeps a direct route open to bring back a defender who has settled into a regular role in Germany, while Liverpool continue to plan around centre-back uncertainty.
Quansah and Liverpool
Jarell Quansah was sold to Bayer Leverkusen for £35 million, but his name is back in Liverpool’s planning because the club still holds the option to bring him back for £52 million. He has enjoyed a relatively successful campaign in Germany and has become a regular at the heart of Leverkusen’s backline.
That is the sharp edge to this situation: Liverpool let him go because Arne Slot did not view him as an ideal squad member, yet the club now has a pre-set route to reverse that decision if the fit changes next summer. Quansah has also been called up to the World Cup by Thomas Tuchel, which adds another layer to his rise away from Merseyside.
Liverpool centre-back planning
The buy-back clause lands against a long-running problem. Liverpool have had issues with their centre-backs for well over a year, and the list of moving parts is still crowded.
Giovanni Leoni will return to preseason training after an ACL injury suffered back in September, Joe Gomez has constantly been sidelined, and Virgil Van Dijk turns 35 in July. Liverpool also wrapped up a £60 million deal for Jeremy Jacquet in January, and he will join the club this summer.
Slot’s handling of Quansah last season showed how thin the margin was. He started Quansah and Van Dijk away at Ipswich Town, then took Quansah off at half-time for Ibrahima Konate. In Liverpool’s Premier League title season, Quansah played just three full 90 minutes in the league, and two of those came after the title was already wrapped up. His only full match came away in a 3-3 draw with Newcastle as a right back.
Even if Quansah returns, Liverpool will still need another central defender next summer. The clause gives the club a known option, not a full solution, and that leaves their back-line planning tied to more than one decision before the window opens.
