Liverpool faces a big setback as Arsenal is reportedly in talks to sign a replacement for Virgil van Dijk.
Arsenal are in talks to sign a player who could be very important for Liverpool’s future as a replacement for Virgil van Dijk.
The 2026/27 transfer window has already been wild, breaking British transfer records twice with Elliot Anderson moving to Manchester City for £116 million and Morgan Rogers joining Chelsea for £117 million.
However, both Arsenal, the current Premier League champions, and Liverpool, the 2024/25 champions, have been fairly quiet this summer, only making a few signings.
So far, Arsenal have focused on adding midfielders and attackers, with their biggest signings being former Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes and ex-Club Brugge striker Christos Tzolis.
Liverpool, on the other hand, have brought in Spanish winger Victor Munoz, who joined after triggering his €40 million (£34.6m) release clause at Osasuna in June, and Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo, who arrived on loan to help with their defense problems.
Liverpool’s defense looks a bit worrying right now after losing Ibrahima Konate on a free transfer last season and with Giovanni Leoni and Jeremy Jacquet both injured.
Now, Arsenal might make things even tougher for Liverpool. A surprising report says Arsenal are talking to sign Jarell Quansah, a player many expect to be Van Dijk’s replacement at Liverpool.
Sky Sports reports that Arsenal are interested in Quansah, who left Liverpool last season for Bayer Leverkusen in Germany for £30 million.
Liverpool let Quansah go but included a buy-back clause to bring him back after he gains experience in the Bundesliga.
Quansah had a strong first season in Germany, playing 44 games and getting noticed by many clubs in Europe.
Some Liverpool fans have reacted strongly, with one saying, “Liverpool can’t let this happen. No idea why they let him go in the first place,” and another adding, “Liverpool need to get him signed up. We clearly need him back.”
Mikel Arteta has reportedly mentioned Quansah as a good fit for Arsenal’s defense because he can play both as a center-back and right-back.
With Arsenal dealing with injuries to Jurrien Timber and William Saliba as the new season approaches, Quansah could be a perfect addition.
However, Leverkusen don’t want to sell the 23-year-old after being impressed by his performances and attitude. This means Arsenal might have to pay much more than the £30 million they paid last July, especially since Quansah still has four years left on his contract.
As part of Liverpool’s sale to Leverkusen, there is a £70 million buy-back option that lets Liverpool bring Quansah back if he does well in Germany.
Interestingly, waiting until the 2027 transfer window would lower this buy-back price to £52 million.
Since Van Dijk’s contract expires in June 2027, Liverpool could bring back Quansah at the right time to replace their captain.
But if Arsenal manage to sign him before then, it would be a big setback for Liverpool and could really affect their plans.