Liverpool

Quansah has been linked with a move to Leverkusen, so let's take a look at the 22-year-old's 2024-25 season.

Quansah made 25 appearances in all competitions during Liverpool's title-winning season, 13 of them coming in the Premier League, where he played a total of 487 minutes.

He also picked up three yellow cards.

Under Jurgen Klopp in the previous season, Quansah played 34 games and was included in former England manager Gareth Southgate's training squad before Euro 2024 but did not make the final selection.

Lorraine McKenna
BBC Sport Journalist

Graham, Ben - get a room.

Thanks, mate. Enjoy that vitamin D. For those of us who are vampires, we'll crack on indoors and continue with the tranfers chat. Don't worry, Ben will return for all you fans, which I'll name 'Rammers'.

I'm fresh out of Partridge for the minute, so we'll stick with Quansah for now...

Ben Ramsdale
BBC Sport

Ahhh man, thanks Dad. I mean Graham, thanks Graham!!

On that note, I'm off to get some air if I can fit my head through the office door after that lovely comment.I'll leave you in the capable hands of Lorraine who I've instructed to bring more of the Partridge references for her stint today.

Liverpool

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BBC Sport columnist Nedum Onuoha speaking about Jarell Quansah's future back in October:

Every club is different and every group of players is different, but Jarell Quansah has got some really good people ahead of him at Liverpool who have been very successful.

When you are looking at the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, it can be an aim and it is important to learn from them, but not in a way whereby you adopt yourself as just being a student.

You are a peer and you will play alongside both of them, but you can try to really see what they do and think how you can add certain things to your game to make yourself as good as they are at the ages they are at now.

It is more than possible for him do that because Liverpool seems like it is a positive environment for players to learn. As a young player, you are good - but you are not the finished product. Anyone who believes they are will struggle because the league is constantly evolving and there are challenges you face on a week-to-week basis.

It is a winning mentality at Liverpool and that is a challenge you have to face. You cannot be the weak link in a team trying to dominate.

Quansah is starting from a younger age than Van Dijk did at Liverpool, so there is no reason to say he could not be the next Van Dijk.

If things go his way then there is potential for him being as important to Liverpool in the long term as the Dutchman is, so why not aspire to be the captain of Liverpool?

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Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah on his playing style and how it complements Arne Slot's system at the beginning of the 2024-25 season:

"A lot of my strengths can be shown in the system he likes to play.

"Obviously I like playing with the ball as well, so I think what the gaffer likes to do is a lot that I like. But there's still a lot to improve on.

"There's so much to look forward to. We had a great year last year and I think there's a lot of positives we can look back at.

"Moving to this season, although it's a new coach and a new style of play, I think it'll suit us. It's times to be excited for."

Sami Mokbel
BBC Sport Senior football correspondent

Bayer Leverkusen are set to accelerate their interest in Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah.

Leverkusen and Liverpool have been locked in talks over the Premier League club's £116 million move for Florian Wirtz, which could be completed by the start of next week with the Germany international's medical imminent.

The clubs have continued contact regarding Quansah, though Liverpool are not actively trying to sell the centre-back.

The 22-year-old found his first-team opportunities limited last season and a move could interest the defender, who has been named in senior England squads.

In addition to Quansah's possible move to Germany, there is also some uncertainty over fellow centre-back Ibrahima Konate's future.

France defender Konate has 12 months left on his contract at Anfield and is yet to agree an extension, while Joe Gomez's future is also unclear this summer.

Image source, Getty Images

The first official look at how Florian Wirtz will fit into Arne Slot's new-look system will be Friday, 15 August at 20:00 BST when Liverpool host Bournemouth on the opening weekend of the 2025-26 Premier League season.

The German will then get to sample St James' Park with a trip to Newcastle United, before a big one: Arsenal at Anfield at the end of the month. Those two games are pencilled in for Saturday fixtures for now (23rd and 30th respectively) but no doubt they will be high on the list for a telly pick.

Ben Ramsdale
BBC Sport

Hi Alan. You'll be absolutely delighted to know that there is just one more post coming about Wirtz. Unless his signature is confirmed today then there will be another absolute barrage coming your way.

Busy day for Liverpool all round though. More rumoured incomings, plus Jarell Quansah's exit is ramping up...

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Florian Wirtz wore the 10 shirt in his last two seasons for Bayer Leverkusen but on Merseyside, fellow midfielder Alexis Mac Allister is the owner of the famous number.

So, what could he wear? Number 27 is available at Liverpool, which was Wirtz's squad number before he was handed the 10 at Leverkusen, so this could be an option for the German.

German football expert Raphael Honigstein is our go-to man for today's 'Wirtz Watch' section, so where will the midfielder line-up for his new club Liverpool?

"His best position, and the position that has been earmarked him for him in talks with Arne Slot, is that number 10 central role," said Honigstein. "In a slightly reshuffled Liverpool, more Dutch and more 'Arne Slot' team.

"He will be the fulcrum in attack. A player who can pick up spaces between the line, has an eye for the killer ball but never loses sight of the goal. He can score goals himself and is very tenacious. A very modern number 10 and a player a lot of clubs wanted."

Fulcrum is an excellent word.

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Tracking planes has become a popular pastime in recent years, especially when it comes to famous folk. So as soon as a private jet took off from Cologne yesterday - word on the gossip streets it was scheduled late by Liverpool - eagle-eyed fans were on to it, keeping check of its every move.

Last time, Wirtz and his family landed at Blackpool Airport. This trip? Welcome to Manchester.

Image source, Getty Images

Premier League champions Liverpool are who Florian Wirtz settled on for his next career move. But in an interview with German publication Kicker, Borussia Dortmund chief executive officer Hans-Joachim Watzke said he would have preferred to see the Germany international remain in the Bundesliga.

"It's a real shame that a player like Florian Wirtz is leaving the Bundesliga," Watzke said. "I wouldn't have had a problem at at all if he had gone to Bayern Munich.

"That would have been better for the Bundesliga."

German title winners Bayern did try and tempt the 22-year-old to join them but according to the club's director of sport, Max Eberl, the fee for Wirtz was ultimately too high.

"I don’t know whether we would have been able to pay the price that Liverpool would have had to pay," Eberl told the German media.

Ben Ramsdale
BBC Sport

So good, they named him twice!