Liverpool's 'homegrown' pick to replace Jarell Quansah | OneFootball

Liverpool sold Jarell Quansah this summer and exacerbated a problem for themselves. Here's how they reportedly plan to solve it.

Jarell Quansah has now joined Bayer Leverkusen and Liverpool got themselves a decent deal there. The Reds bagged around £30m for the defender, with a buyback clause of around £60m.

That clause could end up being a fantastic deal. Liverpool would happily bring Quansah back to the club if he fulfils his ample potential.

He wasn't going to do that at Anfield - not under Arne Slot at least. Slot appeared to lose faith in Quansah as the centre-back struggled for confidence this season.

Liverpool, then, tried to have their cake and eat it too with this deal. They've secured a really solid amount for a player who was stagnating with his development, but left the door open to bringing him back at a decent price.

Essentially, they hope to pay Leverkusen £30m to develop Quansah into a world-class defender. Fingers crossed.

But Liverpool exacerbated a problem here in selling a homegrown player. Quansah is the third to leave after Trent Alexander-Arnold and Caoimhin Kelleher.

The Reds are now up against it for their homegrown quota and need to find more players that fit the bill. Or ones that could fit it.

Liverpool eye Geovanni Leoni

One problem with replacing Quansah is that he was third or fourth choice last season. Any new signing would be similar.

Finding a homegrown, top-quality talent is difficult then. Instead, Liverpool could sign a player and develop them into a top-quality homegrown talent.

If that's the plan, the player doesn't even need to start off as homegrown. That appears to be the plan with Geovanni Leoni. Liverpool reportedly want to sign the Italian teenager after an impressive campaign in Serie A with Parma.

Leoni is only 18 and if Liverpool signed him this summer, he would eventually become homegrown. That's because he'd play three full seasons for the Reds before the end of the season in which he turns 21.

That's the homegrown rule - players need to fit that specific piece of criteria and Leoni would. He turns 21 during 27/28 season, which would be his third campaign in English football.

Here's a way to make a homegrown player, then. Leoni is a huge talent and one who could end up filling an important role for Liverpool, if this is the route they choose to go down.