Man Utd step up efforts to sign Arsenal target Jarell Quansah as Liverpool clear path

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·14 August 2026

Man Utd step up efforts to sign Arsenal target Jarell Quansah as Liverpool clear path

According to reports, Manchester United and Arsenal are in ‘active talks’ about signing former Liverpool centre-back Jarell Quansah.

After breaking through at Liverpool, Quansah was tipped to become a key player for his boyhood club, but they opted to cash in on him last summer.

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The 23-year-old joined Bayer Leverkusen for around £30m and he enjoyed a strong debut season to earn a spot in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the World Cup.

With Liverpool short in defence, they have been linked with a move for Quansah this summer. They have a £60m buy-back clause, but a report earlier this month claimed they do not plan to re-sign him in this window.

This has opened the door for rivals to make a move for Quansah, and it emerged on Friday morning that Arsenal have made contact about signing him as an alternative to Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa.

Regarding Quansah to Arsenal, Fabrizio Romano said on X: Arsenal made contact with Jarell Quansah’s camp over possible move this week.

‘Initial talks as @RobDorsettSky reported, Bayer Leverkusen will try to keep the defender this season.

‘Liverpool had €70m buy back clause this summer but expired — no clauses for other clubs.’

Man Utd join race to sign Jarell Quansah

Now, Football Transfers are reporting that Man Utd are also in ‘active talks’ over signing Quansah, and the two sides have ‘stepped up their move’ for the versatile defender.

It is also noted that Arsenal are currently ahead of Man Utd in the race for Quansah, but this could soon change.

The report claims:

‘Arsenal are thought to have an edge in negotiations with Leverkusen as the clubs have a strong relationship, yet the Bundesliga side are reticent to sell one of their star players and are set to demand a fee far in excess of the €35m they initially paid for him. ‘Initial indications are there is likely to be a sizeable gulf in valuations between the North London side and Leverkusen, potentially opening the door for Man Utd.’

And ‘Bundesliga expert’ Ronan Murphy has told the outlet why it makes sense for Man Utd and Arsenal to be making a move for Quansah.

“The answer to Liverpool’s centre-back problems should have been Jarell Quansah,” Murphy told Football Transfers.

“The England international should have been Virgil van Dijk’s successor at Anfield, but neither player nor club could wait around for that to happen. He joined Bayer Leverkusen in 2025 to get first-team experience and to prove himself at the highest level, and in the 12 months since, he has done exactly that.

“So it is no surprise that he is being linked with a move back to the Premier League just a year after leaving for €35m, but what is surprising is that it is not a return to Anfield that is on the cards.

“Instead, the composed defender has been linked with Arsenal, who would rightly value his ball-playing ability as well as his presence in the air for set pieces and general defending.

“He said himself back in 2024 that he wants to be the best defender in Europe. That is something he probably cannot achieve if he remains at Bayer Leverkusen, but Arsenal under Mikel Arteta could be the perfect place to reach that goal.”