Bayer Leverkusen has signed Liverpool’s Jarell Quansah in a club-record deal for a defender, replacing former captain Jonathan Tah. The 22-year-old Quansah has agreed to a contract until June 2030 and will take over Tah’s No. 4 shirt, the Bundesliga champions announced on Wednesday.
The transfer fee reportedly exceeds €30 million ($35.3 million) and could rise to €40 million ($47 million) with bonuses, roughly matching the amount Liverpool agreed to pay Leverkusen for Dutch right-back Jeremie Frimpong in May.
Liverpool has also reportedly secured a buy-back clause for Quansah, allowing them to re-sign him for more than €60 million ($70.6 million) after two seasons at Leverkusen.
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This is the second major transfer between the clubs in recent weeks, as Leverkusen sold star midfielder Florian Wirtz to Liverpool last month for a Bundesliga-record fee.
Jonathan Tah, who spent 10 years at Leverkusen, moved to league rivals Bayern Munich after the season ended, having declined a contract extension. Tah played a crucial role in Leverkusen’s historic unbeaten run to the Bundesliga and German Cup titles in the 2023-24 season.
Quansah, who recently helped England win the Under-21 European Championship, struggled to secure a regular place in Liverpool’s starting lineup behind Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté.
Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes described Quansah as "one of the most promising English central defenders," praising his speed, agility, technical ability, and toughness in defense. “Jarell has already made an impressive impact in a Liverpool defense filled with world-class players. His arrival brings more dynamism, pace, and physical strength to our defense. He’s another crucial piece of our puzzle,” Rolfes said.
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In addition, Leverkusen recently signed 20-year-old Senegalese defender Abdoulaye Faye from Swedish side BK Häcken for a reported €3 million ($3.5 million), with plans to loan him out for the upcoming season.