Manchester United Target Jarell Quansah Amid Arsenal Interest

Jarell Quansah’s rise has already taken a few sharp turns. Another one might be coming, and this time it could drag in both sides of English football’s fiercest modern rivalry.

The former Liverpool centre-back, now a mainstay at Bayer Leverkusen and a World Cup pick for Thomas Tuchel’s England squad, is at the centre of a tug of war between Arsenal and Manchester United, according to fresh reports.

From Anfield hope to Leverkusen pillar

Quansah was once tipped as the long-term heir to Virgil van Dijk at Liverpool. A composed, ball-playing defender from the academy, he looked set to anchor the back line at his boyhood club.

Liverpool chose a different route. Last summer they cashed in, accepting a fee of around £30m from Bayer Leverkusen. The move suited everyone on paper: Quansah wanted regular football, Leverkusen wanted a modern centre-back, and Liverpool banked a sizeable sum with a buy-back clause reportedly set at €70m.

The 23-year-old made that decision look smart. He delivered a strong debut season in the Bundesliga, enough to convince Tuchel to take him to the World Cup with England. His stock climbed quickly.

Liverpool, short of defenders this summer, were naturally linked with bringing him home. But that €70m buy-back clause has now expired, and reports earlier this month suggested they have no intention of re-signing him in this window. The door, suddenly, is wide open for their rivals.

Arsenal move first

Arsenal sensed an opportunity. With their pursuit of Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa complicated, the London club turned to Quansah as an alternative.

Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano reported on X that Arsenal made contact with Quansah’s camp this week over a possible move. These were described as initial talks, with Leverkusen intent on keeping the defender for the coming season.

Romano also underlined the key detail: Liverpool’s €70m buy-back clause applied only to this summer and has now expired. No such clauses exist for other clubs. Leverkusen are in full control.

Arsenal, though, have a card to play. The two clubs enjoy a strong working relationship, and that, according to Football Transfers, gives Mikel Arteta’s side an early edge in negotiations.

Leverkusen, for their part, are reluctant sellers. They paid €35m to sign Quansah and are expected to demand a fee “far in excess” of that figure to even consider a deal.

United enter the fight

Just as Arsenal began to position themselves, Manchester United stepped in.

Football Transfers report that United are now in “active talks” over a move for Quansah and have “stepped up their move” for the versatile defender. Arsenal are said to be ahead at this stage, but the gap is not guaranteed to hold.

There is a sense that the financial side could swing things. Early indications point to a sizeable gulf in valuation between Arsenal and Leverkusen. If Arsenal hesitate or refuse to meet the Bundesliga club’s demands, United could find a route through.

For a club rebuilding their defence and searching for a long-term cornerstone, Quansah ticks a lot of boxes. Young, homegrown, comfortable on the ball, already tested at the highest level.

The one that got away for Liverpool

Ronan Murphy, billed as a Bundesliga expert and speaking to Football Transfers, did not mince his words on Liverpool’s role in all this.

“The answer to Liverpool’s centre-back problems should have been Jarell Quansah,” he said. In his view, the England international was supposed to be Van Dijk’s successor at Anfield. But the timing never aligned. Player and club were not prepared to wait.

Quansah moved to Leverkusen in 2025 to secure first-team minutes and prove himself. Murphy argues he has done exactly that in the 12 months since.

So the Premier League links feel inevitable. The surprise, as Murphy points out, is that the likely destination is not Anfield.

Instead, Arsenal are pushing hardest. Arteta would value Quansah’s calm distribution, his aerial strength at set pieces and his general defensive presence. It is the profile Arsenal have consistently targeted under the Spaniard.

Quansah himself set out his ambition back in 2024: he wants to be the best defender in Europe. Murphy suggests that ceiling is hard to hit if he stays at Leverkusen. Arsenal, he believes, could be the perfect platform to chase that goal.

United, though, will not see it that way. They need a defensive leader of their own. They need a statement signing at the back. And they now have a chance to prise one away from both Liverpool’s past and Arsenal’s plans.

If Quansah does return to England, it will not just be another transfer. It will be a verdict on who moves faster, who pays bigger, and who truly believes he can be the cornerstone of a new era.