Sports14 August, 20263 min read
Arsenal Open Talks With Bayer Leverkusen To Sign Defender Jarell Quansah
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Arsenal in talks with Bayer Leverkusen over signing Jarell Quansah. Quansah, 23, England international, joined Leverkusen from Liverpool last year.
Arsenal pursue Quansah
Arsenal have expressed interest in signing Bayer Leverkusen defender Jarell Quansah as they consider options at the back with first-choice central defender William Saliba set to be sidelined for an extended period with injury. The BBC said talks are at an exploratory stage, with sources suggesting a deal for the 23-year-old is possible, and it noted Arsenal will be without Saliba for the start of their Premier League title defence next weekend against promoted Coventry City. The New York Times reported that Leverkusen do not want to sell the 23-year-old, who joined the club from Liverpool in the summer of 2025, and that a buy-back option for Liverpool set at €70million (£59m; $80m) has now expired.
The Guardian added that Arsenal opened talks with Leverkusen over a move for Quansah as they intensify efforts to bring in cover for Saliba and Jurriën Timber, with Quansah identified as an ideal replacement for the France and Netherlands defenders. Sky Sports reported that Quansah joined Leverkusen last season from Liverpool in a £35m deal and made Thomas Tuchel’s England World Cup squad this summer, after returning to Leverkusen following an extended break.
Valuations and contract leverage
The Guardian said Leverkusen are reluctant to sell the 23-year-old and would want at least €50m (£43m), while it reported Arsenal are not thought to want to pay that much but could test Leverkusen’s resolve with a similar offer. Sky Sports said it is likely Arsenal would need to pay considerably more than the £30m the German club paid for Quansah last July to prise him away, and it pointed to four years remaining on his contract. The New York Times reported that Quansah can play at both centre-back and right-back and that he is open to a move to the Emirates Stadium if the situation develops.
It also said Quansah made three appearances at the 2026 World Cup and that he has earned six caps, while noting he made 44 appearances and scored five goals in his debut season in Germany as Leverkusen finished sixth in the Bundesliga. The Guardian further described how Quansah was deployed at right-back by Tuchel at the World Cup and was sent off in the last-16 victory over Mexico, framing Arsenal’s interest around their need for defensive cover.
Saliba absence shapes plans
Arsenal’s pursuit is tied directly to injury concerns, with the New York Times saying first-choice central defender William Saliba is set to be sidelined for an extended period with injury and that Arsenal expect him to miss an “extended period”. The BBC said Saliba has been ruled out for an extended period after suffering a back injury at the World Cup, and it added that Netherlands right-back Jurrien Timber is also struggling to be fit. The Guardian said Arsenal opened talks with Leverkusen to bring in cover for Saliba and Jurriën Timber, and it reported that Timber pulled out of the Netherlands squad on the eve of the World Cup after failing to recover from a persistent groin injury.
Sky Sports reported that Timber is still recovering from the groin problem that has kept him mostly sidelined since March, and it noted that Arsenal’s right-back situation is a sore spot alongside Ben White’s injury record. In parallel, BBC Sport said Liverpool have the option to match any offer for Quansah as part of the deal that led to him leaving Anfield, but it added that it is understood they have no intention of actioning their clause.