Manchester United Competes with Arsenal for Jarell Quansah
Manchester United have stepped into Arsenal’s pursuit of Jarell Quansah, turning an already intriguing transfer story into a full Premier League tug of war.
The former Liverpool centre-back, now at Bayer Leverkusen, is in “active talks” with both clubs, according to Football Transfers, with Arsenal currently seen as having the edge but under real pressure from Old Trafford.
From Liverpool prospect to Bundesliga pillar
Quansah was once tipped as Liverpool’s next great defensive cornerstone. He broke through at Anfield with high expectations swirling around him, but the club chose to cash in last summer, accepting a fee of around £30m from Leverkusen.
The move has paid off for the 23-year-old. A strong debut season in Germany has pushed him into Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the World Cup and turned him into one of Leverkusen’s key assets.
Liverpool built in protection at the time. They had a €70m buy-back clause for this summer, but that clause has now expired. Reports earlier this month suggested they had no intention of triggering it anyway, despite their own defensive issues.
That decision has blown the race wide open.
Arsenal move first
Arsenal made the first serious move. On Friday morning it emerged that the Gunners had made contact over a deal for Quansah as they assess alternatives to Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa.
Fabrizio Romano confirmed the approach on X, stating that Arsenal had held talks with Quansah’s camp this week. He added that Leverkusen will try to keep the defender for the coming season and underlined that, with Liverpool’s buy-back clause gone, there are “no clauses for other clubs.”
Arsenal’s interest fits the profile Mikel Arteta has chased in recent windows: a composed, ball-playing defender comfortable stepping into midfield and dominating set pieces.
They also have something else in their favour. Football Transfers report that Arsenal’s relationship with Leverkusen is strong, and that this gives the North London side an early edge in negotiations.
But that only matters up to a point.
Leverkusen are reluctant to lose one of their standout performers and are set to demand a fee well above the €35m they initially paid. Early signs point to a sizeable gap between Arsenal’s valuation and what the Bundesliga champions want.
And that’s where United sense opportunity.
United step on the gas
Football Transfers report that United are now in “active talks” with Quansah’s camp and have “stepped up their move” for the defender, looking to exploit any hesitation or deadlock in Arsenal’s talks with Leverkusen.
With United reshaping their back line and searching for a long-term leader in central defence, Quansah ticks almost every box: Premier League experience, top-level exposure in Germany, and a growing international pedigree.
If Arsenal and Leverkusen remain far apart on price, the door swings open for United to move aggressively.
The one that got away from Liverpool
For Liverpool, the entire saga carries a sting. Ronan Murphy, described as a Bundesliga expert, told Football Transfers that the solution to Liverpool’s centre-back problems “should have been Jarell Quansah.”
He argued that the England international ought to have been Virgil van Dijk’s successor at Anfield, but that “neither player nor club could wait around for that to happen.” Quansah left in 2025 for first-team football and to prove himself at the highest level. “In the 12 months since,” Murphy said, “he has done exactly that.”
So a year after leaving for €35m, Quansah is now being linked with a swift return to the Premier League. The twist? It is not Liverpool preparing to bring him home.
Murphy pointed to Arsenal as an ideal fit, highlighting how they would value his ball-playing ability, aerial presence at set pieces and overall defensive authority. He also recalled Quansah’s own words from 2024, when the defender said he wanted to be the best in Europe.
Murphy’s view is stark: that is “probably” not achievable if Quansah stays at Leverkusen. Under Arteta at Arsenal, though, he sees a platform that could match those ambitions.
United will have a very different answer to that argument.
If Quansah truly wants to become Europe’s best, will he choose Arteta’s Arsenal project, or the chance to anchor a rebuilt Manchester United defence at Old Trafford?
