Liverpool have been tipped to trigger Jarell Quansah’s buy-back with Ibrahima Konate expected to leave the club at the end of the season.
The Reds have not reached an agreement with Konate over a new contract, with Real Madrid monitoring the situation. Liverpool have moved fast to sign a defender as the Reds announced the signature of Jeremy Jacquet on deadline day.
Jeremy Jacquet was signed on a £60million package, making him Liverpool’s second-most expensive defender of all time.
The France Under-21 international has penned a long-term contract at Anfield, but will see out the rest of the season in Ligue 1.
With Liverpool yet to agree a new deal with Konate who is out of contract at the end of the season, Jacquet is likely to serve as his replacement.
However, European football expert Andy Brassell while speaking with talkSPORT states that Liverpool will need to strengthen further at centre-back.
Jarell Quansah left Liverpool to join Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the summer. (Photo by Pau Barrena/Getty Images)
Giovanni Leoni, who is seen as a long-term successor to Virgil van Dijk, has played just once since his £26m move last summer due to injury.
“I’m sure Liverpool will go out and buy another centre-back from here. They have to,” Brassell explained to talkSPORT.
“They really have to go out and buy a new centre-back from here because, depending on what happens with Van Dijk, they can’t have Van Dijk plus Jacquet and Leoni going into next season.
“They can’t do that. It leaves them too thin. So, they need to find someone.”
Jarell Quansah during his playing days at Liverpool. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
One option remains to trigger the buy-back clause in Quansah’s contract with Bayer Leverkusen following his £35m exit in June.
Liverpool can activate their buy-back on the 23-year-old, who made 13 Premier League appearances last season, from 2027.
That buy-back is believed to be around £52m.
Brassell added: “I wonder if at some point Jarell Quansah maybe comes back. I think that has to be a question as well.
“We’ve seen that before with players going out to the Bundesliga.
“Or do you even look at going way back, look at Dani Carvajal having his year in Leverkusen before going back to Real Madrid and becoming a Real Madrid legend. That’s always a possibility, I think.”
