Manchester United Competes with Arsenal for Jarell Quansah

Jarell Quansah was supposed to be Liverpool’s future. Now he’s at the centre of a tug-of-war between two of their fiercest rivals.

The 23-year-old centre-back, who left Anfield for Bayer Leverkusen last summer in a deal worth around £30m, is in “active talks” with both Manchester United and Arsenal, according to Football Transfers. The two Premier League heavyweights have “stepped up their move” for the England international as they look to reshape their back lines.

Quansah’s rise has been sharp. After breaking through at Liverpool and being tipped as a long-term cornerstone of their defence, the club chose to cash in. He responded with an impressive first season in Germany, strong enough to earn a place in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the World Cup.

Liverpool’s own defensive shortages have naturally dragged his name back into the conversation on Merseyside. They held a €70m buy-back clause for this summer, but Fabrizio Romano reported that the clause has now expired and, crucially, that Liverpool have no other options written into his deal. A previous report suggested they do not intend to re-sign him in this window, leaving the field clear for others.

Arsenal Moved First

Romano revealed on X that Arsenal made contact with Quansah’s camp this week over a possible transfer, with the defender viewed as an alternative to Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa. Those were described as “initial talks”, with Bayer Leverkusen expected to fight to keep one of their standout performers from last season.

That resistance is a theme. Football Transfers report that Arsenal hold an early edge in negotiations thanks to a strong relationship with Leverkusen, but the Bundesliga champions are “reticent to sell” and are preparing to demand a fee well above the €35m they originally paid.

The early signals point to a “sizeable gulf in valuations” between Arsenal and Leverkusen. That gap could be the opening Manchester United need.

United’s Interest

United’s interest has now gone beyond monitoring. They are, the report says, in “active talks” of their own and ready to exploit any hesitation or stalemate between Arsenal and Leverkusen as they search for a versatile defender capable of operating across the back line.

Quansah’s profile explains the scramble.

“The answer to Liverpool’s centre-back problems should have been Jarell Quansah,” Bundesliga analyst Ronan Murphy told Football Transfers. In his view, the defender was built to succeed Virgil van Dijk at Anfield, but the timelines never aligned. Quansah wanted minutes, Liverpool wanted certainty, and Leverkusen offered both.

“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,” Murphy said.

The result is a defender now being linked with a swift return to England, but not to the club that nurtured him.

“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,” Murphy added.

Instead, Arsenal and United are circling. Mikel Arteta’s side are drawn to his calmness on the ball, his ability to build from the back and his dominance in the air at set pieces. Those qualities fit neatly into Arsenal’s possession-heavy structure and their need for another high-level option alongside William Saliba and Gabriel.

United, rebuilding under a new football structure, see the same attributes through a different lens: a young, homegrown England international who can grow into a long-term pillar of their defence, with the added bonus of weakening a direct rival if they beat Arsenal to his signature.

Quansah’s Own Ambition

“He said himself back in 2024 that he wants to be the best defender in Europe,” Murphy recalled. Staying at Bayer Leverkusen, a club on the rise but outside the Premier League’s weekly glare, might limit how quickly he can chase that claim. A move to Arsenal, Murphy believes, “could be the perfect place to reach that goal.”

United will argue otherwise. Arsenal hold the early advantage, Leverkusen are digging in, and Liverpool are watching a former academy product being lined up as a potential cornerstone for someone else’s new era.

The only certainty is that a defender Liverpool once saw as their heir to van Dijk is now at the centre of a battle that could reshape the back lines at Old Trafford or the Emirates for years.