Chelsea open talks to sign ex-Liverpool star after Arsenal transfer failure

Chelsea have held discussions to sign Bayer Leverkusen and England defender Jarell Quansah, according to reports in Germany.

Quansah has entered his second season with Leverkusen having joined the club in a £30million move from Liverpool in July 2025.

The 23-year-old, who won the Premier League with Liverpool, has gone on to make 49 appearances in all competitions for Leverkusen while establishing himself as a regular in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad.

Comfortable playing at both centre-back and right-back, Quansah’s versatility has proven a valuable asset for the Bundesliga outfit and he has started all but one of the club’s top-flight matches this season under new head coach Carles Martinez Novell.

However, there was speculation throughout the summer that Quansah could be on his way out of BayArena – and rumours over the defender’s future have surfaced again in the German media this week.

According to Bild, the ‘race is on’ for Quansah’s signature, with Arsenal still keeping close tabs on the situation after Leverkusen rejected a €65m (£55.5m) offer from the Gunners to capture the England international last month.

The Premier League champions aren’t the only English side named as possible suitors, though, with Chelsea said to have made initial enquiries to gauge Quansah’s potential availability.

Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso of course has strong links to Leverkusen having managed the club to the Bundesliga title in 2023/24 while narrowly missing out on a historic quadruple.

It’s claimed another of Alonso’s former teams, Real Madrid, are also showing a ‘great interest’ in Quansah and Jude Bellingham – said to be a ‘close friend’ – could play a role in helping coax the centre-back to the Bernabeu.

The report adds that Los Blancos have been scouting Quansah ‘very closely’ as they scour the market for two quality defensive additions next summer.

Liverpool, meanwhile, have the option to sign Quansah back from Bayer Leverkusen for a fee of €70million (£67.5m) in June 2027.

Quansah has four years remaining on his current contract with Leverkusen.

Earlier this summer, Quansah suggested his path to England selection was helped by the ‘really tough decision’ he made to depart Anfield for German football last year.

‘It was a really tough decision, to be honest, to walk away from my boyhood club – a club I’ve been at all my life,’ he told reporters ahead of the Three Lions’ World Cup campaign.

‘But I just knew it was the best thing that I needed for my career, to be playing week in, week out.

‘People who know me know I back myself no matter what and I feel like I’m capable of playing at the highest level and I wanted to show that this season.’

He added: ‘To be rewarded being selected for the World Cup is an absolute honour and it’s all down to the hard work that I’ve put in over the past 12 months.

‘I feel like with every game I play, I’m getting better. I’m only young, so as long as I keep my head down, I keep grafting away, I know I’m going to be in a good place.

‘It’s just sticking to what I know and sticking to the goals that I’ve set myself and hopefully I can achieve everything I want.’

Quansah admitted he was still ‘getting used’ to playing right-back but gradually improving with more experience in the position.

‘I think you can say that throughout my career, I’ve sort of drifted along the back line, whether it be left or right centre-back, or right-back,’ he went on.

‘I’m comfortable playing all of them, to be honest, especially this past year, although it’s back three for Leverkusen I’m often in right-back positions.

‘I’m still getting used to it a little bit, but I feel like I’m getting better every time I play there.

‘I’ve probably only had a handful of games at right-back so I’m getting used to it but I think I’m getting better.’

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