Homegrown title-winner edges closer to sensational £52.5m Liverpool return | OneFootball

Liverpool need centre-backs. The Reds have been understaffed at the heart of defence this season.

New signing Giovanni Leoni suffered a torn ACL on debut and won’t play again until next season.

Add in the failure to land Marc Guehi - on transfer deadline day and again in January - and you can see why Arne Slot’s side have been crying out for cover in the position.

Only Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez are available as senior options - while Gomez has been pressed into action frequently at right-back.

Next summer Konate, 26, looks set to depart on a free transfer. While Jeremy Jacquet will arrive on a £62m deal from Rennes there is still the potential for the Premier League champions to add a more experienced option.

And now TEAMtalk is claiming that Jarell Quansah is once again in Liverpool’s sights - even though his buyback clause won’t become active until 2027.

“Leverkusen would NOT stand in his way and could reluctantly agree to bring forward the arrangement, which we can confirm is worth €60m (£52.5m, $70.5m),” the report reads.

Jarell Quansah: Situation summary

Jarell Quansah left Liverpool for Bayer Leverkusen in July 2025 on a five‑year deal worth an initial £30m plus up to £5m in add‑ons, with Liverpool inserting a buy‑back clause from 2027 set at around €60m.

The move followed a stop‑start season under Arne Slot and was framed as a chance for the 22‑year‑old to become a regular starter at a Champions League club, with Leverkusen paying a club‑record fee and seeing him as a cornerstone of their next defensive cycle.

On the pitch in 2025‑26 he has quickly established himself, making 19 Bundesliga appearances by late February, all at centre‑back, scoring three league goals and posting strong defensive metrics in duels and aerials for an aggressive, front‑foot side.

German and UK coverage has highlighted how he has adapted well tactically and physically, with only discipline (six yellows) flagged as a clear development point.

His form has already reignited talk of a return to Anfield, with multiple reports that Liverpool are closely scouting him ahead of a possible move back before the clause formally activates, though any such deal would require Leverkusen’s agreement and a fee upwards of £50m.

Analysis

Quansah could not manage to win over Arne Slot during their only season working together - being dropped out of the lineup at half-time in the first game of the campaign and rarely getting a look in after that.

But there are many good reasons to conclude this signing in summer - even if it is a year ahead of schedule.

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