Liverpool is understood to have already secured the framework for a possible £70m transfer, one that could see a familiar face return to Anfield.
The club is preparing for what would be an emotional £70m reunion with Jarell Quansah, who has been impressing for Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga.
Sporting director Richard Hughes and Liverpool’s recruitment department are increasingly confident about bringing the academy product back to Merseyside.
A £70m buy-back clause—currently held by Leverkusen—will become a major talking point as the 2026 window approaches.
Quansah’s rise in Germany has drawn significant attention.
When the defender left Liverpool for Leverkusen last summer, the move was viewed not as a farewell but as a carefully planned development step.
Since then, the 22-year-old has flourished, emerging as one of the Bundesliga’s calmest and most reliable young centre-backs.
His growth has not escaped Liverpool’s notice. Quansah’s mix of technical poise and defensive aggression—traits long identified during his time in the academy—has been sharpened through consistent top-level competition.
His England debut further underlined the rapid strides he has made, validating the high expectations many at Anfield had for him.
Liverpool scouts have monitored him closely, and sources suggest Hughes and manager Arne Slot consider him an ideal long-term option in a position currently under review.
Liverpool’s defensive rebuild is accelerating.
The club’s back line is undergoing a strategic reassessment. Virgil van Dijk, the cornerstone of the defense, is nearing the latter stages of his Liverpool career.
Ongoing fitness concerns for Ibrahima Konaté and Joe Gomez’s shifting role have reinforced the need for new additions.
Slot’s tactical preferences emphasise mobile, ball-playing defenders comfortable operating higher up the pitch—a style Quansah has refined in the Bundesliga.
Liverpool’s leadership appears to have anticipated this shift early. When Quansah departed for Germany, they included a £70m buy-back clause and outlined future contract terms, effectively creating a clear route for his return once he reached the developmental benchmarks they expected.
That forward planning may soon pay off.
Hughes’ long-term succession strategy
Richard Hughes, quietly overseeing Liverpool’s post-Klopp recruitment evolution, views Quansah as both a footballing asset and a cultural fit.
Homegrown status, academy roots, and an ingrained understanding of Liverpool’s identity make him a near-ideal piece of the club’s future squad plan.
According to those familiar with the discussions, Hughes would not have sanctioned Quansah’s departure without substantial safeguards. “The intention was always growth, not a permanent goodbye,” one Anfield source explained.
“Regular top-flight action abroad was seen as more valuable than limited minutes in Liverpool’s rotation.”
That calculation appears to have been correct.
A return seems increasingly likely
All signs now point towards a reunion being a matter of timing rather than uncertainty. With Leverkusen expected to insist on the full £70m clause, Liverpool must make a significant call—but few internally doubt Quansah’s value.
A Premier League-ready, homegrown defender who could anchor the back line for the next 10 years fits perfectly with Slot’s direction for the squad. Beyond performance, Quansah’s story—from academy graduate to England international and potential returnee—aligns strongly with Liverpool’s identity-driven approach.
Given the soaring market for top defenders, £70m for a player with Quansah’s ability, trajectory, and connection to the club may ultimately prove a strategic investment rather than an indulgence.
