Arsenal have made contact with the representatives of Bayer Leverkusen defender Jarell Quansah as the London club search for defensive reinforcements during a pre-season period disrupted by injury. The Gunners hold a strong interest in the 23-year-old England international, who is open to a potential move to the Premier League side.
Bayer Leverkusen do not wish to sell Quansah, but Arsenal have approached his camp to establish the financial parameters of a potential deal. Arsenal are also continuing negotiations for Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa, though Villa's valuation has so far proven prohibitive for the North London club.
The pursuit of defensive additions comes as primary centre-back William Saliba faces a lengthy injury absence. Saliba's absence has already impacted Arsenal's pre-season preparations, with the team conceding an uncharacteristic number of goals, including a recent 3-2 defeat to German Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund.
Transfer background and Liverpool clauses
Quansah developed through the youth academy at Liverpool before making his first-team breakthrough during the 2023-24 season. He made four top-flight appearances during Liverpool's Premier League title-winning campaign the following year before moving to Germany last July.
Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag brought Quansah to Leverkusen in a £35 million transfer. In his debut season in Germany, the defender made 44 appearances and scored five goals across all competitions as Leverkusen finished sixth in the Bundesliga table.
Liverpool held a buy-back clause in Quansah's contract for this summer, but that option has now expired. The Anfield club have no plans to bring the defender back to Merseyside, as their current transfer priorities remain focused on forward positions, specifically Paris Saint-Germain attacker Bradley Barcola.
International role with England
Capable of playing at both centre-back and right-back, Quansah has established himself as a regular in the senior England squad, earning six international caps to date. He featured prominently during the 2026 World Cup hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico, making three tournament appearances.
Quansah initially entered the World Cup lineup as a substitute for injured right-back Reece James against Panama. His performance earned him a starting place in manager Thomas Tuchel's side for the Round of 16 match against Mexico.
During that match, Quansah received a red card for a high challenge on Mexico's Jesus Gallardo. The dismissal ruled him out of England's quarter-final victory over Norway and their semi-final defeat against Argentina.
Quansah returned to the starting lineup for the third-place play-off against France, playing 83 minutes as Tuchel's team secured a 6-4 victory to close their World Cup campaign.
