Arsenal Target Jarell Quansah to Strengthen Defense

Arsenal have opened talks with Bayer Leverkusen over a deal for England defender Jarell Quansah, as Mikel Arteta moves to reinforce a back line already stretched before a ball has been kicked.

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.

They signed him from boyhood club Liverpool only last summer for around £30m. He went straight into the side, played 44 times in his debut season in Germany and impressed not only with his defending in the Bundesliga, but with the way he settled into a new country and dressing room. Leverkusen, unsurprisingly, do not want to sell.

Arsenal, though, are pushing.

Arteta sees Quansah’s versatility as a key part of the appeal. A centre-back by trade, he operated on the right of a back three for Leverkusen last season, often stepping into areas normally occupied by a right-back. That flexibility caught the eye of England manager Thomas Tuchel, who took him to the World Cup as one of his right-back options ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold.

For Arsenal, that profile answers two problems at once.

Arsenal’s defensive gaps

William Saliba is out injured. That alone forces Arsenal into the market for cover at centre-back. But the bigger structural issue sits at right-back.

Jurrien Timber is still working his way back from the groin problem that has restricted him since March. Ben White has had his own fitness issues. When it mattered most, in the Champions League final in Budapest, Cristhian Mosquera was pushed out of position to right-back and ended up conceding a penalty. That night still lingers.

Arsenal have also looked at Ezri Konsa, but Aston Villa’s valuation of a 28-year-old has been described as steep. Quansah, younger and already a full England international, offers a different kind of calculation: one signing who can cover two positions and grow with the squad.

At 23, he fits the age profile Arsenal have targeted under Arteta. He also fits the tactical brief.

A different kind of “right-back”

Quansah’s pass maps for Leverkusen show him consistently stepping into zones a traditional right-back would patrol, even though he was listed as part of a back three. Once Saliba returns to partner Gabriel at centre-back, that positional familiarity gives Arteta another option on the flank.

The full-back role at Arsenal is no simple touchline job. Timber and Riccardo Calafiori are often asked to drift inside, sometimes so aggressively that they resemble hybrid centre-forwards in possession. It is a demanding, high-IQ position.

Yet Arteta has already shown he can fold more defensive-minded full-backs into his system. Piero Hincapie, another former Leverkusen player, has been used in a more conservative way when the game state demands it. Quansah could follow a similar path, starting as a stabilising presence and evolving into something more expansive.

The price of potential

All of that makes Leverkusen’s stance predictable. With four years left on his contract and no pressure to sell, they are in a strong position. To prise Quansah away, Arsenal would almost certainly need to offer significantly more than the £30m Leverkusen paid last July.

The German club have been impressed by his maturity and performances. They see a defender who adapted quickly, handled responsibility and now returns from a World Cup with even greater confidence. Letting that go will not come cheap.

Arsenal’s fixture list underlines the urgency. They open the season on August 16 against Manchester City in the Community Shield in Cardiff, then host Coventry in the Premier League on August 21. Aston Villa away follows on August 31, before a home clash with Chelsea on September 6 and a trip to Sunderland on September 12.

It is a demanding start. Arteta wants depth and reliability in defence before that run begins.

Whether Arsenal push high enough to test Leverkusen’s resolve – and whether Quansah is the defender they choose to go all-in on – could shape the feel of their entire campaign.