Manchester United Block Arsenal's Bid for Jarell Quansah

The tug-of-war for Jarell Quansah has taken a sharp twist. What started as a straight line from Bayer Leverkusen to Arsenal now has a familiar red detour: Manchester United.

Both Premier League giants are in active talks to sign the former Liverpool centre-back, according to Football Transfers, with negotiations accelerating as Leverkusen brace themselves for a battle to keep one of their standout performers.

From Liverpool prospect to World Cup defender

Quansah’s rise has been quick, and ruthless.

Once earmarked as a long-term pillar at Anfield, the academy product broke into Liverpool’s first team and was widely tipped to grow into a key figure for his boyhood club. Instead, Liverpool chose to cash in last summer, sanctioning a move to Bayer Leverkusen for around £30m.

The decision looked bold at the time. It now looks like a bargain for the Bundesliga side.

Quansah delivered a strong debut season in Germany, enough to earn a place in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the World Cup and to establish himself as one of Leverkusen’s most reliable defenders. At 23, he already looks like the kind of centre-back top clubs build around, not sell.

Liverpool step back, rivals move in

Liverpool’s own defensive issues have inevitably dragged Quansah’s name back into the conversation. The Merseyside club held a £60m buy-back clause, but that expired this summer. A report earlier in the window suggested they do not plan to re-sign him, at least not now.

That hesitation has opened the door.

Arsenal moved first. On Friday morning it emerged that the Gunners had made contact over a deal, viewing Quansah as an alternative to Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa.

Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano confirmed the approach on X, stating that Arsenal made contact with Quansah’s camp this week over a possible move. He added that Leverkusen intend to keep the defender and that Liverpool’s €70m buy-back clause has expired, with no similar clauses in place for other clubs.

Suddenly, the race was on.

Arsenal hold the edge – for now

Football Transfers report that Arsenal currently sit ahead of Manchester United in the chase, helped by what is described as a strong relationship between the North London club and Leverkusen.

That bond could matter. Leverkusen are reluctant to sell and are expected to demand a fee well above the €35m they initially paid. Early indications suggest a sizeable gap between Arsenal’s valuation and Leverkusen’s asking price, a gulf that could tempt United to move more aggressively.

United are already in active talks, the report claims, and have “stepped up their move” for the versatile defender. If Arsenal hesitate, Old Trafford will not.

“The answer to Liverpool’s centre-back problems”

For Ronan Murphy, billed as a Bundesliga expert by Football Transfers, the entire saga circles back to Liverpool’s original decision.

“The answer to Liverpool’s centre-back problems should have been Jarell Quansah,” he told the outlet.

“The England international should have been Virgil van Dijk’s successor at Anfield, but neither player nor club could wait around for that to happen. He joined Bayer Leverkusen in 2025 to get first-team experience and to prove himself at the highest level, and in the 12 months since, he has done exactly that.

“So it is no surprise that he is being linked with a move back to the Premier League just a year after leaving for €35m, but what is surprising is that it is not a return to Anfield that is on the cards.

“Instead, the composed defender has been linked with Arsenal, who would rightly value his ball-playing ability as well as his presence in the air for set pieces and general defending.

“He said himself back in 2024 that he wants to be the best defender in Europe. That is something he probably cannot achieve if he remains at Bayer Leverkusen, but Arsenal under Mikel Arteta could be the perfect place to reach that goal.”

United or Arsenal – who blinks first?

That ambition is exactly what will appeal to both Arteta and whoever leads United’s long-term rebuild. Quansah offers height, calm on the ball, and the kind of aerial dominance that transforms both penalty areas. He also offers something rarer: upside.

Leverkusen know it. Arsenal sense it. United, now, are acting on it.

The German champions will demand a premium to part with a defender they only signed a year ago and who has already justified the investment. The question is no longer whether Quansah is coming back to the Premier League.

It’s which shade of red he chooses next.