Arsenal Pursue Jarell Quansah for Defensive Reinforcements

Arsenal have opened talks with Bayer Leverkusen over a move for England defender Jarell Quansah, as Mikel Arteta pushes for fresh cover across his back line.

The 23-year-old has just returned to Leverkusen after an extended break following his first World Cup, where he made three appearances for England. His stock has risen sharply over the past 12 months – and Leverkusen know it.

Arsenal test Leverkusen’s resolve

Quansah left his boyhood club Liverpool last summer for a new start in Germany and responded with a standout debut campaign. He played 44 times in all competitions, settled quickly in the Bundesliga and impressed Leverkusen with both his performances and his attitude off the pitch.

That adaptation has hardened Leverkusen’s stance. The German side do not want to sell and, with four years left on his contract, they hold a strong hand. Arsenal would almost certainly have to go well beyond the £30m Leverkusen paid Liverpool last July to have any chance of prising him away.

Arteta, though, is hunting a specific profile. Quansah ticks a lot of boxes.

Cover for Saliba – and a right‑back problem

With William Saliba injured, Arsenal’s lack of depth at centre-back has been exposed again. The issue does not end there. Right-back remains a sore spot in this squad.

Jurrien Timber is still working his way back from the groin problem that has largely kept him out since March. Ben White’s fitness record is patchy. In the Champions League final defeat in Budapest, Cristhian Mosquera was pushed into an uncomfortable role at right-back and conceded a penalty. That night still lingers in the background of Arsenal’s planning.

Ezri Konsa has also been on Arsenal’s radar, but Aston Villa’s demands for the 28-year-old are high. Quansah, five years younger and already an England international, offers a different type of solution: one player who can cover two positions and grow with the squad.

A modern defender for a demanding system

Quansah is a centre-back by trade, but his season in Germany has reshaped how coaches view him. At Leverkusen he frequently operated on the right of a back three, often stepping into areas usually occupied by a traditional right-back. His pass maps show a defender comfortable pulling wide, building play from the flank and defending big spaces.

That was enough for Thomas Tuchel to take him to the World Cup as one of England’s right-back options – notably ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold.

At Arsenal, the role would be different again. Arteta asks his full-backs, especially Timber and Riccardo Calafiori, to drift inside, join midfield and at times even arrive in advanced, almost centre-forward positions. It is a complex, hybrid job.

Yet Arteta has already shown, with another former Leverkusen defender in Piero Hincapie, that he can integrate more conservative, defensively minded full-backs into his structure when needed. Quansah’s ability to anchor the flank, step into central areas and still defend first could appeal in exactly that way.

Once Saliba returns to partner Gabriel at centre-back, Quansah would not simply be waiting for injuries. He would be fighting for minutes in that flexible right-sided role, giving Arteta the tactical variety he craves.

A busy start, and a ticking clock

Arsenal’s season opens with a demanding run: Manchester City in the Community Shield in Cardiff on August 16, then Premier League dates with Coventry at home on August 21, Aston Villa away on August 31, Chelsea at the Emirates on September 6 and a trip to Sunderland on September 12.

Arteta wants his defensive jigsaw complete before that schedule bites. Leverkusen, though, are under no pressure to sell and know exactly how valuable a 23-year-old England international with four years left on his deal can become.

Arsenal have made their move. Now the question is simple: how much are they willing to pay to turn Quansah from Leverkusen’s project into the cornerstone of their next defensive rebuild?