Quansah Joins Leverkusen in Liverpool’s Priciest Farewell Yet

Buy-back clause included

On Wednesday, Bayer Leverkusen finalized the acquisition of Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah for a club-record transfer fee. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Bundesliga team will initially pay €35 million, with the potential for the total fee to rise to €40.8 million if certain add-ons are achieved. This transfer surpasses Leverkusen’s prior record, which was the €32 million they paid Hoffenheim for midfielder Kerem Demirbay in 2020.

Interestingly, Quansah’s exit from Liverpool also marks a significant moment in the club’s history. The initial transfer fee elevates him above Xabi Alonso, whose €34.5 million transfer to Real Madrid in 2010 was Liverpool’s sixth most expensive departure. This also becomes the club’s largest sale since Fabinho’s €46.7 million transfer to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad last summer. Overall, Liverpool has generated €63.3 million from player sales this summer, following the exits of Caoimhín Kelleher, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Nat Phillips.

Quansah rose through the youth ranks at Liverpool, making his senior debut in August 2023 as a substitute against Newcastle in the Premier League. During his first full season, he made 17 league appearances, starting in 13 matches and accumulating 1,190 minutes of playtime. However, this past season saw his opportunities significantly reduced, as he only made 13 appearances with four starts, totaling just 488 minutes.

With Liverpool manager Arne Slot favoring a defensive partnership of Virgil Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, with Joe Gomez as a bench option, Quansah felt compelled to explore other options this summer to secure more playing time. Fortunately for him, Leverkusen is in urgent need of a central defender after the departure of long-time stalwart Jonathan Tah.

That said, Quansah’s departure doesn’t rule out a potential return to Anfield. Romano reports that Liverpool has included a buy-back clause in the agreement, allowing them to bring the young player back from Germany for a reported figure of €60 million plus add-ons. This suggests Liverpool may consider Quansah as a long-term successor to Van Dijk or as a direct replacement for Konate if the Frenchman does not extend his contract. In the meantime, Quansah looks set to gain valuable first-team experience in the Bundesliga.