Why Jarell Quansah’s £35 Million Sale Signals a New Liverpool Future
Jarell Quansah is set to make a move to Bayer Leverkusen for a deal worth £30 million plus £5 million in add-ons after head coach Arne Slot has effectively deemed him surplus to requirements. The young defender had a tough start to life under the Dutchman, being hooked at half time against Ipswich in the opening game of the title-winning 2024/25 season. Ever since, the Englishman struggled to make his way back into Slot’s plans.
Reds fans had thought they had one of the most exciting young prospects coming through their academy and a player who would save them millions in the transfer market, but the script has flipped, and the defender is set to do the opposite – make them millions.
Under Arne Slot, Quansah only featured 13 times, starting just four of those games, and in the previous season, although he played 17 games, he started just four.
While the sale of Quansah, at the end of last season, would have seemed baffling to fans of the club, after another season where he struggled to get game time, fetching £35 million for him is fantastic work from Richard Hughes, the club’s sporting director. In truth, obtaining that much fee for a defender with only 17 Premier League starts over two seasons is some of the smartest business that you will find this window.
However, the transfer and departure of Quansah is more than just the Reds getting a good deal. It marks a strategy and ability in the transfer market that could see the club start to dominate across England.
How Liverpool Could Dominate England Through Smart Market Selling
Already this season, we have seen Liverpool cash in on players that fill the homegrown criteria and have no debts left in the financial books. Why does this matter? Well, these sales will go down as “pure profit” for PSR.
Caoimhín Kelleher was sold for £12.5 million, potentially rising to £18 million with add-ons; they got £10 million off Real Madrid for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who had a month left on his deal; Jarell Quansah is going for a £30m initial fee plus £5 million in add-ons; and Harvey Elliott is reportedly being targeted by Brighton for £40 million.
It is no secret that Liverpool do not have the financial muscle like Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal or Manchester United. The club has had a sell-to-buy model for quite some time, as highlighted below. However, Liverpool’s ability to bring in funds via selling players for overblown prices has been quite remarkable.
It isn’t a new idea for Liverpool, who previously sold Rhian Brewster for £23.5 million to Sheffield United despite the forward never playing a game in the Premier League, but it seems now they are starting to use the finances gained to invest in the squad.
The record-breaking acquisition of Florian Wirtz was out of character for the Reds, but if they are bringing in significant amounts of “pure profit”, then the balance sheets will certainly not be of concern come the end of the financial year.
Additionally, the Reds are reportedly not put off by a mega-money move for Alexander Isak, although there might be one reason they don’t stake a claim for his signature.
After years of trying to be smart in the market and attempting to pick up the hidden gems before they explode, it appears there has been a shift. One that could see them have a longer, more successful period under Slot than they did under Klopp. While the years under the German will forever be remembered, there were countless years the club stood still in the market.
Liverpool are now looking to pick up the biggest and most talented names in the market, and the smart sales, such as Jarell Quansah, will be pivotal to this strategy working in the long term.
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